The remains of three Andhra tourists killed in a boat accident in Vietnam have been brought home

Minister for Empowerment and NRI Relations Kondapalli Srinivas oversees the arrival of the remains of the Vietnamese boat victims at Hyderabad’s Shamshabad Airport on Tuesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The remains of three tourists from Andhra Pradesh who died in a Vietnamese boat accident were flown back to their hometowns on Tuesday (July 14, 2026). The bodies arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad via Mumbai at 7:20 am and were taken to their native places in ambulances provided by the Andhra Pradesh government.

The victims were part of a promotional tour of Vietnam organized by mobile phone maker Lava International for its distributors in South India. On Saturday afternoon, a tourist boat carrying 32 Indian tourists capsized off Phu Quoc Island after being hit by strong winds. The dead from Andhra Pradesh were Sridhar from Kadapa, Jayasri from Machilipatnam and Raviteja from Hindupur.

The Andhra Pradesh government has provided immediate support to the families of the victims. Since the accident, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Minister for MSME, SERP and NRI Empowerment and Relations Kondapalli Srinivas and officials of the AP Non-Resident Telugus Society (APNRTS) have remained in constant touch with the Indian and Vietnamese authorities to facilitate the return of the survivors and the deceased.

After legal formalities at the Mumbai airport, the remains were flown to Hyderabad and handed over to the families. Mr. Kondapalli Srinivas arrived at the Shamshabad airport on Monday evening and stayed overnight, overseeing the arrival of the bodies, coordinating their onward transportation and consoling the bereaved families. He assured them of the government’s full support and inquired about their family circumstances.

Addressing the airport, the minister said that APNRTS will always stand by the Telugu people who are facing difficulties anywhere in the world. He said that the state government has consistently acted to protect the interests of overseas Telugus.

Citing recent cases, he said Mr. Nara Lokesh immediately intervened when a Telugu family lost their passports at the Hong Kong International Airport, took up the matter with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and allowed emergency travel documents to be issued. During the Nepal crisis, he said, APNRTS set up a dedicated war room and played a key role in bringing stranded Telugu tourists home on special flights.

Published – 14 July 2026 17:00 IST