Vietnam tragedy: We escaped through window of speedboat, says survivor
Survivor says while those at front part of boat escaped, passengers behind couldn't; says the team will stay back to help in repatriation of bodies to India
One of the survivors in the Vietnam boat tragedy in which 15 Indians were killed has said that passengers who survived were near the front part of the speedboat while those at the back part could not escape despite trying.
The speedboat, which capsized near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, had 36 people comprising 32 Indian tourists, three crew members, and one attendant aboard. On Saturday (July 11), the boat, while en route to An Thoi Port from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island, got stuck in the turbulent seas and gusty winds, leading to the accident.
Also read: 15 Indian tourists dead as boat sinks near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island; 10 from TN Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, is a major tourist destination, known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping excursions.
'Survivors escaped through window'
Nirmal Kumar, one of the survivors told NDTV that the closed speedboat overturned within three minutes of starting.
“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 told NDTV.
Nirmal said that while around 20 of the passengers at the front managed to jump out of the window at the front, 15 others got stuck at the back and drowned.
Also read: Yamuna boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 15 in Mathura capsize incident
Nirmal said his close friend Muruga Prabhu from Palani, was among the deceased. He said Muruga had tried to jump out of the same window but couldn’t.
“We are friends. I tried to help him get out too, but he could not escape through the window…he got stuck there,” Nirmal told NDTV.
Junket turns lethal
He said while the group was supposed to return to India on Sunday, it has decided to stay back to assist in repatriating the bodies.
“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,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
According to reports, the Indian team was travelling as part of a trip organised by Lava Mobiles. In a statement, Lava Mobile expressed grief over the incident.
Also read: Migrant boat with 250 Rohingya, Bangladeshis capsizes in Andaman Sea
The company had reportedly organised a foreign trip for around 110 distributors and employees from South India.
The Indian Embassy in Hanoi has said that of the 32 tourists, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Kerala. The company has confirmed that 14 of the tourists were partners of Lava Mobile, while one was a team member.
“We at Lava are deeply saddened to confirm 14 of our channel partners and one member of our Lava team have tragically lost their lives in a boat accident earlier today near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. Our hearts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we stand with them during this time of profound grief,” the company said in a post on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and chief ministers of several states expressed their grief over the incident and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.