'Boat overturned within seconds': Survivor recounts Vietnam tragedy that killed 15 Indian tourists; cites possible overloading

Times of India Published Jul 11, 2026 Reviewed Jul 11, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

The tourist speedboat that capsized near Phu Quoc Island had 39 people on board, 20 of whom escaped and 15 of whom died.

39 · people on board20 · people escaped15 · people died Nirmal Kumar, survivor

Vietnamese authorities confirmed that 15 Indian tourists died in the accident, including 13 men and two women.

15 · Indian tourists died13 · men died2 · women died Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner

Arja Srikanth confirmed the deaths of two Andhra Pradesh residents, Gelli Jayalakshmi from Machilipatnam and Mudium Sridhat from Kadapa.

2 · Andhra Pradesh residents died Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner

Two survivors of the speedboat accident were hospitalised in critical condition.

2 · survivors hospitalised Nirmal Kumar, survivor

CHENNAI: At least 15 Indian tourists were killed after a speedboat carrying passengers capsized in Vietnam on Saturday.Sources said the tourist speedboat, carrying several Indian tourists and four crew members, capsized near Phu Quoc Island while it was returning to An Thoi Port.Nirmal Kumar from Palani, one of the survivors, said in an audio recording that 39 people were on board the boat, most of them from Tamil Nadu.He said the group had gone out for lunch when the boat suddenly overturned.According to Kumar, 20 people managed to escape after the accident, while 15 people were trapped inside the overturned vessel and died.Two survivors were hospitalised in critical condition, while others underwent medical examinations and were discharged.Recalling the incident, Kumar said he survived by managing to get out of the boat.He said the boat suddenly overturned within seconds, reportedly due to high waves and possible overloading.He further said the speedboat was enclosed and was damaged during the accident.

He added that the boat operator had followed the required safety measures and described the incident as an unfortunate tragedy.Vietnamese authorities confirmed that 15 people, including 13 men and two women, all Indian tourists, died in the accident, according to Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, New Delhi.Srikanth confirmed the deaths of two Andhra Pradesh residents — Gelli Jayalakshmi from Machilipatnam and Mudium Sridhat from Kadapa.Following the incident, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy directed officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to expedite relief measures.According to the Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Reddy expressed shock over reports that tourists from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were among those killed in the accident.The chief minister instructed the Chief Secretary to gather details about the incident and hold discussions with MEA and Indian Embassy officials to ensure swift relief and necessary assistance.(With agency inputs)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news.

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