Tragedy at sea: Vietnamese ship capsizes and survivors recount harrowing moments

This photo taken on July 12, 2026 shows rescuers carrying out operations after a speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai off Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. Photo: Flyer via PTI

Survivors of the Vietnam ship tragedy say that the disaster was caused by rough seas in the waters and passengers sliding to one side as the ship capsized.

The boat, which had departed from the Vietnamese island of Hòn Mây Rút Ngoi, carrying 32 Indian passengers and four crew members, capsized and overturned shortly afterwards. Fifteen people lost their lives in this accident, including 10 from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala. The bodies of the deceased are expected to arrive in India on Monday.

S. Nirmalkumar of Palani is one of the survivors who traveled on this ship. He described to the Hindu what happened when the ship capsized. “It was around 12 o’clock. Lunch was arranged on a nearby island. Everyone on the boat was wearing a life jacket.”

“Because the sea was rough, the ship rocked from the time it set sail. Although there were only 36 people on board, it felt overloaded. At one point, when the operator of the ship made a sharp turn, the ship tipped to one side. As a result, the weight shifted completely to that side, which caused a loss of balance. Then the ship turned upside down. At that time, 30, the ship was gone from sailing. All this washed ashore within three minutes of setting sail.”

“The boat operator and the guide jumped into the water as soon as the boat started tilting. As I was sitting in the front of the boat, I saw it, realized something was wrong and jumped into the sea. Many others sitting in the front did the same. Those sitting in the back, however, could not get out. They were stuck inside as the boat turned upside down,” said S. Nirmalkumar.

S. Nirmalkumar also mentioned that he and his close friend Murugaprabhu undertook this journey together, but as his friend was sitting at the back of the boat, he could not escape when the boat capsized.

Ramasubbu, 51, another survivor of the same accident, shared more details and said more lives could have been saved if more medical help had been available at the scene.

“When the speeding boat turned, people on one side fell over the other. Because of this, the weight on one side increased and it began to capsize. When I saw those in front jumping back, I also jumped into the water. Some of those who were rescued from the bottom of the boat were still alive when they were pulled out. But there were not enough doctors on shore. Moreover, only one or two oxygen cylinders were in critical condition. They were taken to hospital, they died,” he said.

Published – 14 Jul 2026 0:54 IST