New Delhi is “in touch” with Vietnam following a speedboat accident near Phu Quoc Island that claimed the lives of 15 Indian tourists, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
The tragedy occurred on July 11 when the speedy tourist boat carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members, capsized near Hon Mai Rout Ngoi off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island amid rough sea conditions.
During a press conference held here, Middle East Airlines spokesman Randhir Jaiswal expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in the tragic accident, and expressed his hope for the speedy recovery of an injured person undergoing treatment in Vietnam. He confirmed that the Indian and Vietnamese authorities had arranged for the remains of the 15 citizens to be returned to India in a timely manner.
He added: “A very tragic accident. We have offered our condolences. We were in a position to quickly implement everything we needed to do, and the remains of these 15 people who unfortunately died in this tragic accident have returned home. There is still one person recovering. He is there. He is injured and receiving treatment in Vietnam.”
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Regarding the investigation into the tragic incident, in which Vietnamese authorities detained a local man from southern An Giang province over alleged legal violations, Jaiswal said India is in touch to find out what happened in the case.
He added: “We realize that the local government has conducted an investigation, and we are in contact with them to learn more about this case and what happened in this particular incident.”
The detainee was identified as Captain Nguyen Hung Hai, 57, a resident of Thuan Tien Village, Son Kien Township, An Giang Province, who was temporarily residing in the Phu Quoc Special Area, Vietnamese news agency VN Express International reported.
She added that the investigation is ongoing to ensure that any violations under Vietnamese law are strictly dealt with.
Earlier, the remains of 15 Indian tourists who were killed when the speedboat they were traveling in capsized were transported to Mumbai yesterday.
Among the dead were 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
Residents and authorities made “relentless rescue and relief efforts” under harsh weather conditions to save the victims, said Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone President Tran Minh Khoa, refuting allegations of delays in rescue operations during the recent speedboat tragedy in Vietnam.
Addressing the allegations directly, Khoa said: “The information referred to above does not accurately reflect the actual circumstances of the incident response, nor the tireless rescue and relief efforts of the Vietnamese population and authorities.”
video: Indians killed in boat accident in Vietnam: Captain arrested while survivors blame few…| Fu Quoc
Local operators and residents immediately deployed watercraft available under the “four on the spot” search and rescue plan to the area, along with the rapid deployment of border guards, army, police, coast guard, naval and medical units.
Despite treacherous waves and winds, responders successfully pulled all 36 individuals from the water. While 17 survivors were rescued and successfully treated at Sun International Hospital, 15 people tragically lost their lives.
