Vietnam Tragedy: Boat Barely Left Island When It Capsized, Says Indian Eyewitness
A speedboat carrying Indian tourists off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island had barely travelled 300-400 metres from the shore when it suddenly capsized, leaving passengers screaming for help, according to an Indian witness who survived the tragedy.
Ashish Kumar, a distributor from Andhra Pradesh who was part of the Lava International group tour, said the accident unfolded within minutes of the boat leaving Hon May Rut Ngoai island.
“The boat had hardly left the island when it tipped over. We were taking photographs and before we could even understand what was happening, it had overturned. We were all screaming for help,” Kumar told PTI.
He said the weather was not severe enough to suggest an imminent disaster. “There was some wind, but that’s normal on an island. Nothing appeared unusual before the boat capsized,” he said.
Kumar said rescue teams reached the site quickly and brought survivors and victims back to shore.
However, he alleged that emergency medical care was missing at a crucial time. “The rescue teams became active and brought everyone back, but there were no medical teams to administer even CPR. We were all in a state of shock,” he said, highlighting what he described as a critical gap in the immediate response after the accident.
According to Kumar, the group had travelled to Vietnam on July 9 as part of a company outing organised by Lava International, with distributors, sellers and employees. Several participants had travelled with their families. “A distributor friend was on the boat with his wife. She died, while he is fighting for his life in hospital,” he said.
Vietnamese media reported that at least 15 Indian tourists were killed after the speedboat, carrying 32 Indian passengers and four crew members, capsized off Phu Quoc Island
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ: 15 Indian Tourists Dead As Boat Capsizes Near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc
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