Fifteen Indian tourists lost their lives after a boat overturned near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday. The vessel was carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant, when it overturned amid rough seas and strong winds shortly after leaving Hon May Rut Ngoai island for An Thoi Port.
Nirmal Kumar, one of the survivors, described the terrifying sequence of events to NDTV. He said the vessel was a closed speedboat carrying 32 passengers and that it overturned within three minutes of setting off.
“We were travelling in the speedboat; it’s a closed boat, and around 36 people were inside it. Within three minutes of starting, it turned upside down. A strong storm hit the boat, and it flipped over,” he said.
He explained that passengers near the front managed to escape through a window, while those towards the back were not as fortunate. “About 20 of us came out of the boat by jumping through the window at the front. The 15 people at the back got stuck inside the boat, and they died,” he said.
Also read: 36 Aboard Speedboat, Rough Seas: What We Know About Vietnam Tragedy
Kumar said his close friend, Muruga Prabhu from Palani, was among those who died. He had tried to help him escape through the same window he had used, but was unable to.
“We are friends. I tried to help him get out too, but he could not escape through the window,” Kumar said. “He got stuck in there.”
Kumar said local police had visited to make enquiries, though the embassy had not been in touch with him directly at the time. “The embassy hasn’t updated us yet, as far as I know. But local police have come and are inquiring into this,” he said.
Kumar confirmed the group was travelling together as part of a trip organised by Lava Mobiles. According to sources, a total of 110 Lava distributors and employees from South India were on the visit.
Lava Mobiles said in a statement on X that some of its team members and channel partners were on the boat. “We are in constant touch with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the local authorities to gather information about the safety and well-being of our people. Our immediate priority is to extend all possible support to those affected and their families. Our teams in both India and Vietnam are in regular contact with the families and are providing all possible assistance,” the company said.
He also said the return flight to India had been scheduled for the following day, but the group would now stay back to assist with the aftermath. “Our return ticket was for tomorrow, but since this happened, we are waiting to see what they do. We want to take our friend back home,” he said.
