Boat carrying tourists capsizes off Vietnam's Phu Quoc island, killing 15
The 15 who died were reportedly Indian tourists. Twenty-one people survived the accident.
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MANILA: At least 15 Indian tourists died when a boat capsized off Vietnam's southern island of Phu Quoc on Saturday (Jul 11), VnExpress reported, citing local authorities.
Twenty-one people survived the accident, according to the report. The vessel was carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant.
India's embassy in Vietnam said it was monitoring the incident and had established emergency response centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to assist affected families.
"Exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing," the embassy said in a statement, describing the incident as "tragic".
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The boat was travelling from Hon May Rut Island to An Thoi Port when it overturned about 400m into the sea, according to authorities cited by VnExpress.
VnExpress reported that sea conditions were rough, with large waves in the area at the time.
Multiple tourist and coast guard boats participated in rescue efforts, during which some people were plucked safely from the water.
Nguyen Tien Hai, a provincial official of the ruling Communist Party, said initial assessments suggested that the speedboat may have overturned due to heavy winds and high waves.
Located just south of Vietnam's largest island Phu Quoc, May Rut Ngoai is known for its pristine blue waters, white sand beaches and accessible diving reefs.
Visitors often access the islet by speedboat from the main island.
Phu Quoc has seen a major tourism boom in recent years, with more than 1.8 million foreigners visiting the island last year.
Boating accidents are a regular occurrence in Vietnam, where extreme weather, persistent flooding and inadequate maintenance have led to frequent tragedies.
In July last year, 39 people were killed when a tourist boat ferrying families around northern Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay capsized after being lashed by a sudden storm.
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