Vietnam boat accident: PM Modi tweets ‘extremely saddened’ as 15 Indians die in Phu Quoc | Today’s news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was deeply saddened by the death of Indian citizens in a boat accident near Phu Quoc in Vietnam. He expressed his sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and said that the Indian Missions are providing all possible help.
15 Indian tourists were killed in the incident on Saturday. According to PTI sources, the tourists were employees of a private mobile phone company, Lava Mobile, who were attending an annual meeting.
“Extremely saddened to learn of the tragic news of a boat accident involving Indian nationals near Phu Quoc, Vietnam,” Modi said in a post on X. “My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured survivors.”
The Prime Minister also said that the Indian Embassy and Consulate are providing all possible assistance. “Our officials are also in close contact with Vietnamese authorities,” he said.
PM Modi left for home on Saturday after a two-day visit to New Zealand.
Shipwreck in Vietnam
The speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members capsized about 400 meters from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc, according to Vietnamese news portal VN Express International.
The tour was reportedly organized by Vietnam-based Threeland Travel through local coordinating dealer Sai Vietnam.
21 people were rescued and all the dead (15) were recovered, authorities said. The injured were taken to hospitals. Of the survivors, there were 17 passengers and four crew members.
Two remained in critical condition and all 36 people on board were accounted for, authorities said.
Phu Quoc in the Gulf of Thailand is one of the most popular beach destinations in Vietnam. Hon May Rut Island is about 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Phu Quoc. They are famous for their white sand beaches and clear water and attract millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year.
Adverse weather conditions, rough seas and possible mechanical failure are being investigated as likely causes of the accident, ANI Dr. Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner and Special Representative of the Government of Andhra Pradesh at AP Bhavan in New Delhi.
2 Andhra residents killed
Two people from Andhra Pradesh were killed and three others from the state were hospitalized in Vietnam, PTI news agency reported citing Andhra Pradesh government sources.
“Preliminary information suggests that two persons from Machilipatnam are among the deceased. We are coordinating with the Indian Embassy and Vietnamese authorities and more details will be shared after official confirmation,” Andhra Pradesh sources told PTI.
Preliminary reports indicated that Jalalakshmi and Jayashree, both from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, were among the dead.
Among the tourists were seven people from Telugu states, Dr Srikanth said.
