HANOI — Vietnamese police have detained the captain of a speedboat that capsized off the country’s southern coast, killing 15 Indian tourists, authorities said Sunday.
The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members when it overturned less than 500 meters from shore on Saturday, shortly after departing Hon May Rut Ngoai island near Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island.
State media said the captain, Nguyen Hong Hai, 57, is under investigation for alleged violations of inland waterway transport safety regulations.
According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, 16 survivors have been discharged from hospital and are returning to India, while one passenger remains in critical condition.
The bodies of the 15 victims are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City before being repatriated to India after official procedures are completed.
The victims were part of a company trip organized by Indian smartphone manufacturer Lava International for employees, distributors and retail partners.
Boat operator Ha Van Loc said he found about a dozen people clinging to the overturned vessel while others struggled in the water without life jackets.
He and his crew rescued four survivors before additional rescue teams arrived.
State media reported that passengers had been instructed to wear life jackets before departure, but many were carrying them instead of wearing them when the boat capsized.
Rescue operations were complicated by waves reaching up to three meters, with jet skis used to reach survivors trapped in the water.
The Indian Embassy said 10 of the victims were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
India has become one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing tourism markets, with about 750,000 Indian visitors traveling to the Southeast Asian country in 2025.
Source: Saudi Gazette