Boat Carrying Indian Tourists Capsizes Near Vietnam's Phu Quoc, 15 Dead

A speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, killing at least 15 people. The speedboat, operated by Ocean Pear Island Company, was transporting the tourists from Hon May Rut Islet to An Thoi Port at about 1 pm when it capsized approximately 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, throwing everyone on board into the sea, according to initial information from authorities in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, according to VnExpress.

Nearby tourist boats rushed to assist after spotting the capsized vessel. One boat owner involved in the rescue said his vessel reached the scene within about five minutes, but the operation was hampered because many tourists were trapped inside the overturned boat. "Only a few people were brought out conscious," he said, adding that the sea off An Thoi was rough at the time, although there was no rain, and other tourist boats were still operating in the area.

By the afternoon, rescuers had brought all 36 people aboard to shore. Twenty-one survived, while 15 others including two women and 13 men were confirmed dead.

Indian Government Sets Up Emergency Helplines

In response to the tragedy, the Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City established a control room to provide information and assistance to affected families, according to a the Indian Embassy in Hanoi. The embassy said exact details of the incident were being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities continued.

Emergency contact numbers for the control room in Ho Chi Minh City are +84 36 281 7930, +84 91 552 37 14 and +84 33 452 0414. A control room in Hanoi can be reached at +84 91 308 9165, the embassy said.

The embassy added, "We are available for any assistance and queries."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the boat accident involving Indian nationals near Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island. He conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families and said the Indian Embassy and Consulate were in close contact with Vietnamese authorities while providing all possible assistance to those affected.

The passengers on board were:

• Balasubramani Palanisamy

• Selvam Pitchiah

• Senthil Kumar Jayavel

• Sivakumar Muthukumarasamy

• Nirmal Kumar Sethuraman

• Muruga Prabhu Arumugam

• Ruban Selva Nathan Jacob Yesupatham

• Sridhar Dharmarajan

• Vigneshvar Radhakrishnan Gopal

• Ramasubbu Annavi

• Abuthalkha Zahirudeen

• Sridhar Sundarrajan

• Vamsheedar Cellur Ramraj

• Senjadaivel Kuppusamy

• Nagalamadugu Sohan

• Nallapeta Adiseshaiah Raviteja

• Shaik Abdullah Abdul Majeed

• Rajeev Kalaivanan

• Balaji Natesan

• Vinaya Kumar Chithapuram Bhaskara

• Ravisankar Sugumaran

• Vipul Uttam Chand

• Santosh Kumar Shantilaljain

• Babu Kuppuswamy

• Alagurajan Sivasamy

• Vasantha Kumar Anandhan

• Sreedhar Mudiam

• Jaya Lakshmi Gelli

• Kishore Gelli

• Avicot Cheriyan Thomas Thomas

• Loveni Thomas

• Ramesh Kumar Pachiyappan

PM Modi posted on X, “Extremely saddened to learn about the tragic news of a boat accident involving Indian nationals near Phu Quoc, Vietnam. My sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers for the early recovery of the injured survivors. Our Embassy and Consulate are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with the Vietnamese authorities."

Rescue Efforts and Investigation

The An Thoi Border Guard dispatched two vessels and 35 officers and soldiers to the scene, joining rescue efforts alongside the navy, coast guard and other relevant forces, VnExpress reported.

A representative of Ocean Pear Island Company said the speedboat was taking the tourists on an island-hopping trip. The captain, who is in his 50s, had many years of experience operating passenger boats.

May Rut Islet, which consists of May Rut Trong and May Rut Ngoai, lies about 10-12 kilometres south of An Thoi in Phu Quoc. Known for its crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches and coral reefs, it is a popular destination for snorkelling and diving. The islet is typically reached by boat or speedboat from An Thoi in 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of vessel.

Phu Quoc has emerged as one of the fastest-growing overseas destinations for Indian travellers. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the country welcomed nearly 88,000 Indian visitors in January 2026, an increase of 80.5% from a year earlier.