15 Indian tourists died in a boat accident near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. President Draupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the incident. The Indian Embassy is providing assistance to the affected.
New Delhi [भारत]July 11 (ANI): President Draupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday expressed grief over the death of Indians in a boat accident near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island. At least 15 people lost their lives in this accident, including Indian tourists.
President, Vice President and PM Modi expressed grief
In a post on Twitter, the official account of Rashtrapati Bhavan shared, “Saddened by the news of a boat accident in Vietnam in which several Indian nationals lost their lives. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Deeply saddened by the tragic boat accident involving Indian nationals near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, with the loss of many precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I pray for the speedy and full recovery of the injured and wish strength and courage to all those affected by this tragic incident.”
India’s Embassy in Vietnam confirmed that all 15 people, including two women and 13 men, killed when the boat capsized near Phu Quoc island were Indian citizens.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Min Hun issued an urgent directive to officials at both the central and local levels to prioritize search and rescue operations, provide assistance to victims and their families, and investigate the cause of the tourist boat capsizing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over this incident and expressed his sincere condolences to the bereaved families. The Prime Minister said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragic accident and assured that the Indian Embassy and Consulates were providing all possible assistance to those affected.
“Deeply saddened to hear 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. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured survivors. Our Embassy and Consulates are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close touch with the Vietnamese authorities,” PM Modi posted on Twitter.
Various political parties paid tribute
Political leaders cutting across party lines expressed condolences and urged the Center and Indian missions for prompt assistance, rescue efforts and repatriation of the bodies of the victims at the earliest.
Regarding the boat accident involving two Malayali people, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has directed the CEO of NORCA (Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs) to coordinate with the Vietnam Embassy and get more information. He said, “Deeply saddened by the unfortunate boat accident involving two Keralites in Vietnam. Norca CEO has been directed to coordinate with the Embassy of Vietnam for immediate updates. The CMO is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Resident Commissioner, Kerala House has been tasked to coordinate efforts to ensure immediate assistance and support.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay also expressed deep grief over the death of tourists, including people from Tamil Nadu and other Indian states, in a boat accident and directed officials to provide all necessary assistance to the affected people. The Chief Minister has called for the bodies of the deceased to be brought back to Tamil Nadu as soon as possible so that they can reach their families, and has directed officials to coordinate through the Indian Embassy.
Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed grief and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families. She said, “My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones in the tragic capsizing of a boat carrying Indian tourists near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. I pray for them for strength and courage during this difficult time.”
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi also expressed grief and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families. Kanimozhi said, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives of eight tourists from Tamil Nadu in a tragic boat accident in Vietnam. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have passed away.”
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to provide all necessary assistance to the affected families. Venugopal said, “Shocked by the news of the boat accident in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, in which several Indian tourists have died. The entire nation mourns the loss of these innocent tourists. I urge the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to provide all possible assistance to the families of these victims in this difficult time.”
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal urged the central government to provide all possible assistance to the people affected by this tragedy. Kejriwal said, “Deeply saddened by the devastating boat accident in Vietnam in which many Indian citizens have lost their lives. My sincere condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of deep sorrow. I urge the Central government to ensure all possible assistance to those affected by this tragedy.”
Andhra Pradesh: Announcement of help for the victims
Andhra BJP President, PVN Madhav, said, “This is a very unfortunate incident that happened in Vietnam; the tourist boat capsized. 15 people have died; three of them are from Andhra Pradesh. We are in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the repatriation and safe transportation of the bodies. They have also informed the Vietnam Embassy, which is on full alert to look into how the accident happened. It is very unfortunate that such an incident happens on a foreign land.”
Andhra Pradesh Minister Kollu Ravindra said, “It is very sad. More than 15 people from Andhra Pradesh died in this incident. Two of them are from Machilipatnam… One member of that family died in that accident. One is in critical condition. The CM and the IT Minister also spoke to the embassy, and they are making all arrangements for their arrival here. The government will cater to their every need. I will go and meet them tomorrow morning.”
TDP national spokesperson Koma Reddy Pattabhi Ram said, “In an extremely tragic incident, 15 Indians are reported to have lost their lives in Vietnam today when a boat carrying them capsized in bad weather. Of those 15 Indian nationals, it is learned that most of them are from Andhra Pradesh. The exact details are not yet known. Our Cabinet Minister and Working President of our party Nara Lokesh, upon hearing the news, immediately directed all concerned officials to liaise with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and the Central Government So that all kinds of assistance can be provided to the injured.”
He further said, “It is learned that more than 20 passengers have been rescued and admitted to various hospitals. The Andhra Pradesh government is thoroughly reviewing the situation and is making efforts to provide all assistance to the affected families.”
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita said, “In a tragic development, we have received official information that about three persons have died in a boat accident in Vietnam. One of them is from Machilipatnam, and the others are from Kakinada. We have already spoken to the relatives of all three persons. The Andhra Pradesh government is coordinating with them in arranging visas for their travel. We are taking steps to bring back their mortal remains as soon as possible.” Additionally, I have personally spoken to the 16 persons who are currently safe. We are making all necessary arrangements to bring them back as soon as possible.”
How did this tragic accident happen?
Ramanathapuram MP Navaskani said, “Lava Mobile Company had organized a tour to Vietnam for its mobile sales personnel during which this tragic boat accident occurred. Sheikh Abdullah’s death has been officially confirmed and efforts are being made to bring the mortal remains back to Tiruchirappalli as soon as possible in coordination with both the Central and Tamil Nadu governments. The exact cause of the accident is still not clear. However, preliminary information suggests that the boat was carrying a large number of passengers and suddenly capsized due to high altitude. “Poor sea conditions were encountered after the waves, which led to the accident.”
According to VN Express, citing Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone officials, the speedboat, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company, was carrying tourists from Hoan Me Rut islet to An Thoi Port, about 25 kilometers from Phu Quoc airport, when it capsized at noon (local time), throwing all aboard into the sea.
Indian Embassy released the list of dead
Sharing the list of the dead in a post on Twitter, the embassy said it had received the list from Vietnamese authorities. The embassy said, “With deep sorrow we share the list of 15 Indian nationals who lost their lives in the tragic boat accident near Phu Quoc Island today. The list has been received from the Vietnamese authorities. Our prayers are with the families of the deceased.”
The embassy said in its list that 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala died due to the boat capsizing. (ANI)
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