The mortal remains of the 15 Indian tourists who were killed in a boat accident off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island will be repatriated to India later today (July 13), the Indian Embassy in Hanoi has said.
Twenty tourists from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who survived the tragedy arrived in Hyderabad on a flight late on Sunday after being repatriated from Vietnam.
The embassy said the respective state governments have been informed and requested to coordinate with the affected families for the onward transportation of the mortal remains to their final destinations.
Embassy’s message
The mission said the mortal remains would be flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai on Vietnam Airlines flight VN979.
“The flight is scheduled to depart Ho Chi Minh City at 1800 hrs local time and arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai at 2135 hrs IST,” it said in a social media post.
Also read: Vietnam tragedy: We escaped through window of speedboat, says survivor
Of the 15 victims, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, three were from Andhra Pradesh, and two were from Kerala. Two of the deceased were women.
“The Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City pray for the family members of the deceased,” it said.
Speedboat operator detained, says report
A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai off Phu Quoc Island on Friday (July 10), killing 15 Indian tourists.
Sixteen were rescued and have returned to India after receiving medical treatment, while one survivor remains in critical condition at a hospital in Phu Quoc.
The tourists were reportedly returning from an island visit when the speedboat capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai island. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, and Vietnamese authorities have ordered an investigation.
According to the Vietnamese news portal VN Express Internationalthe operator of the speedboat was detained on Sunday.
Survivors furious over lack of timely help
Survivors have expressed outrage over the absence of timely medical preparedness and trained personnel at the site of the accident, saying they were forced to perform CPR in a desperate attempt to save fellow passengers pulled from the sea.
Govinda, a native of Rajahmundry and an employee of the mobile company that organised the trip, recounted the desperate moments on the island.
“There was no proper medical team on the island. We did whatever we could with the little knowledge we had. We performed CPR and tried to keep people alive, but many slipped away before our eyes. Had trained doctors, oxygen support and even basic emergency facilities been available, some of them could have survived,” he told PTI Videos.
No trained doctors on island
According to him, 35 people were on board and many were rescued from the sea, but there were no trained doctors on the island to administer CPR or provide emergency treatment.
He said the boat’s crew, Jet Ski operators and members of their own group rushed to rescue passengers immediately after the vessel overturned. However, professional medical assistance arrived much later.
Also read: 15 Indian tourists dead as boat sinks near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island; 10 from TN
“Everyone tried to help. We managed to save some people, but official medical help arrived much later. We requested an air ambulance, but were told one was not available. Ambulance boats came only after some time and the critically injured were shifted later,” he added.
An avoidable accident?
Govind was travelling in the second boat when the accident occurred about 400 metres away.
“The first boat had already left while we were preparing to start. Suddenly, we saw it tilt before capsizing. We heard people screaming for help and rushed towards them immediately,” he said.
Quoting survivors from the capsized boat, he said strong waves forced the captain to slow down, triggering panic among the passengers. As frightened passengers moved to one side, the boat became unstable, tilted further and eventually overturned.
“We ourselves tried to revive those who had stopped breathing. We saved one or two people, but many were in a critical condition. If qualified medical personnel had been there, at least five or six more lives might have been saved,” he said.
Tourists share grief
For many, the tragedy was deeply personal.
Govind shared the experience of watching his long-time associates perish. Among the three deceased from Andhra Pradesh were Sudheer, a businessman he had known for a decade and Jayalakshmi, the wife of Gelle Kishore, a close friend for 20 years.
“Watching people you have known for years die in front of you, while feeling completely helpless, is something I can never forget,” he said.
Narrow escape for some
Harihar Srinivas, another survivor from West Godavari district, narrowly escaped the tragedy because he was waiting to board a separate boat nearby when the accident unfolded.
The ill-fated first boat had travelled barely 100 metres after leaving the island when the strong water currents caused it to tilt to one side and capsize.
“It all happened within moments. We could only watch in horror as the boat suddenly overturned,” said Srinivas, who witnessed the incident from a distance of around 100 metres.
Life jackets available
He noted that all passengers had been provided with life jackets and rescue personnel responded immediately after the accident.
While Srinivas appreciated the promptness of the rescue operation, he echoed other survivor’s concerns over the lack of emergency medical preparedness at the tourist destination.
“The rescue operation was quick, but there should have been better planning to handle medical emergencies. Timely medical intervention could have made a difference,” he added.
Tourist in hospital responding to treatment
He clarified that the tour was a company-organised trip comprising those from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, all of whom had arrived in Vietnam on July 8.
He said the tourist who remains in a serious condition has been shifted to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and is responding well to treatment.
Govind said this was his first trip organised by the company and that such an accident had never occurred during its earlier tours.
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, is a major tourist destination known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping excursions.
(With agency inputs)
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