Vietnam , 13 July : The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who lost their lives in the tragic tourist boat accident off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island are being repatriated to India on Monday, according to the Indian Embassy in Vietnam.
The victims died after a tourist boat carrying Indian visitors capsized near the popular island destination on Saturday.
Among those killed were 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu. The group had travelled to Vietnam as part of a reward trip that ended in tragedy.
Vietnam Airlines flight VN979 will depart Ho Chi Minh City at 6:00 PM local time and arrive at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 9:35 PM IST.
The Embassy informed the respective state governments and urged them to coordinate with the affected families to transport the mortal remains to their hometowns.
The Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City also expressed condolences and assured all possible assistance to the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident. Police in southern An Giang province detained 57-year-old boat captain Nguyen Hong Hai over alleged legal violations linked to the capsizing of the tourist vessel.
The boat was carrying around 32 Indian tourists, including 17 from Tamil Nadu, when it capsized near Phu Quoc Island. Rescue teams saved several passengers and administered CPR to those found unconscious.
Authorities confirmed 15 deaths, while medical teams treated the survivors. Officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.
