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At least 15 people have died after a speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday.
According to Vietnamese state media, the boat was carrying 36 people when it overturned about 400 metres off May Rut Ngoai Islet in the country’s south.
Rescue teams, including tourist vessels and coast guard boats, launched a search operation and pulled several passengers from the water.
Local police, quoted by Tuoi Tre newspaper, said 21 survivors were taken to hospital for treatment, with two reported to be in critical condition. The newspaper also reported that all 15 victims were foreign nationals.
India‘s embassy in Vietnam confirmed that the boat was carrying several Indian tourists but said authorities were still establishing the full details of the incident.
Provincial official Nguyen Tien Hai said rescue efforts were ongoing to verify the exact number of survivors.
Preliminary findings indicated that strong winds and high waves may have caused the speedboat to capsize.
May Rut Ngoai Islet, located south of Phu Quoc Island, is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, clear waters and diving sites, with visitors typically travelling there by speedboat.
Vietnam has recorded several boating accidents in recent years, often linked to severe weather and safety concerns. In July last year, 39 people were killed when a tourist boat capsized during a storm in Ha Long Bay.
