Published Jul 12, 2026 | 10:36 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 12, 2026 | 10:36 AM
The boat was carrying visitors from Vietnam's An Thoi sea region to Hon May Rut Ngoai Island.
Synopsis: The Indian Embassy in Vietnam confirmed that 15 Indian tourists lost their lives after a tourist boat capsized off Phu Quoc Island. Among the deceased were 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
The Indian Embassy in Vietnam on Saturday, 11 July, confirmed that 15 Indian tourists lost their lives after a tourist boat capsized off Phu Quoc Island, triggering a major rescue and diplomatic response.
Among the deceased were 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
According to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, there were 32 tourists on board when the boat capsized. Most of them are reportedly from Tamil Nadu, particularly from the districts of Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Dharmapuri, and Salem.
The Department of Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils said the boat was carrying visitors from Vietnam’s An Thoi sea region to Hon May Rut Ngoai Island and met with an accident at around 10.30 am (local time) on 11 July.
Reports said the group was travelling together as part of a trip organised by Lava Mobiles.
Meanwhile, Lava Mobiles said that 14 among the deceased were its channel partners and one was a member of its team.
“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. We are in close and continuous contact with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the local authorities, and are doing everything possible to facilitate the earliest possible repatriation of the mortal remains. Our immediate priority is to support every affected family, and our teams in both India and Vietnam remain by their side, extending every possible assistance,” the company said.
Also Read: Boat ferrying over 30 Indian tourists capsizes near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, 15 dead
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said it has initiated efforts to assist Tamil tourists affected by the boat accident.
Following the incident, the Tamil Nadu chief minister directed officials of the Department of Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils and Rehabilitation to obtain details of the affected Tamil tourists and ensure that all necessary assistance is provided.
As an immediate measure, the Tamil Nadu government has contacted the Embassy of India in Vietnam, requesting the rescue of the affected Tamil tourists and facilitating all necessary support for their safe return to India.
To assist the families of those affected, a control room has been set up at the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City.
The people from Tamil Nadu who lost their lives have been identified as Senthil Kumar Jayavel, Muruga Prabhu Arumugam, Sridhar Sundararajan, Shaik Abdullah Abdul Majeed, Balaji Natesan, Vinaya Kumar Chithapuram Bhaskara, Ravisankar Sugumaran, Santosh Kumar Shantilaljain, Babu Kuppuswamy, and Alagurajan Sivasamy.
In a statement, the Indian Embassy expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy, saying it had received the official list of the deceased from the Vietnamese authorities.
The Embassy extended its condolences to the bereaved families and said it, along with the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, remains available to provide all necessary assistance.
Also Read: Anti-drug campaign turns into mob justice
A couple from Kerala’s Kollam district were among the tourists who lost their lives. The victims were identified as AC Thomas and his wife, Lovely, natives of Kizhakkekara near Kottarakkara Market in Kollam district.
They had travelled to Vietnam as part of a group tour that began on 7 July. According to their family, they had been in regular contact and last spoke to relatives on Friday morning.
Vietnamese authorities later confirmed that the couple was among those who died in the accident, which claimed the lives of 15 Indian nationals.
Following confirmation of the deaths, the state government swung into action. The Chief Minister’s Office said Chief Minister VD Satheesan has directed the Chief Executive Officer of NORKA to gather detailed information about the incident involving the two Malayalis.
The state government is also coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Resident Commissioner at Kerala House in New Delhi has been instructed to work closely with the Centre and facilitate the necessary follow-up measures.
Meanwhile, the Kollam District Collector and the District Police Chief have been officially informed and asked to extend all required support to the family and coordinate the procedures related to the tragedy.
State Minister Bindu Krishna visited their residence and described the tragedy as extremely unfortunate. She said the Chief Minister, the state government and MP Kodikunnil Suresh had intervened immediately after the accident was reported.
Bindu Krishna said the state government is coordinating with the Centre to ensure that the bodies of the deceased are brought back to Kerala at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the people from Andhra Pradesh who lost their lives have been identified as Nallapeta Raviteja, Adiseshaiah Sreedhar Mudiam and Jaya Lakshmi Gelli.
