Bodies of three people from Tiruchirappalli who died in the Vietnam boat accident were handed over to their families. 15 Indian tourists lost their lives in this accident that happened on July 11. Of the dead, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh and 2 from Kerala. The bodies were brought to India from Vietnam.
Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [भारत]July 15 (ANI): The mortal remains of three Tiruchirappalli residents who lost their lives in a tragic boat accident near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam were handed over to their bereaved families on Tuesday. The accident occurred on July 11 when a tourist boat capsized in the sea near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, killing 15 Indian tourists.
Ten of the dead were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala. These victims were part of a special tour organized by a mobile phone company for its distributors. The bodies of all the 15 victims were first brought to Mumbai on Tuesday, from where they were flown to Chennai and Coimbatore airports for the last leg of their journey.
An atmosphere of mourning in Tiruchirappalli
In Tiruchirappalli, the deceased were identified as Ajagaraja of Edamalpatti Pudur, Balaji of Kondaiyampattai in Srirangam and Sheikh Abdullah of Bhimnagar, whose bodies were brought by ambulance from Coimbatore airport. DMK principal secretary and former Tamil Nadu minister K.N. Nehru, Tamil Nadu Assembly Deputy Speaker M. Ravi Shankar and MDMK’s Tiruchirappalli MP Durai Vaiko met the families to pay their last respects and express their condolences.
Earlier, the bodies of two other victims from Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts were brought to Chennai airport, where floral tributes were offered to them before being flown to their respective hometowns. Local administrations in the affected districts are assisting families in performing the last rites.
Andhra Pradesh government helped
In Andhra Pradesh, the Krishna district administration and state ministers coordinated the arrival of bodies of Machilipatnam victims. Krishna District Collector D.K. Balaji described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” and confirmed that the district is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam. Collector Balaji said, “The district administration is providing all necessary logistical and financial support. We are also keeping a close watch on the medical condition of an injured resident, who is currently receiving specialized treatment at a hospital in Vietnam.”
Andhra Pradesh minister Kollu Ravindra, who personally met the bereaved families of victims Gelli Kishore and Jayalakshmi, also highlighted the prompt intervention by the state leadership. Minister Ravindra said, “Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu immediately activated the authorities as soon as information about the disaster was received. Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Minister of State Nara Lokesh established direct contact with the Indian Embassy to expedite the administrative clearance. AP NRI Affairs Minister Kondapalli Srinivas personally supervised the process of respectfully sending the bodies to their hometowns in Hyderabad.”
The minister further said that one survivor, Gelli Kishore, is undergoing treatment in Vietnam, while the state representative in Delhi, Alapati Srikant, is working with the Indian Embassy to monitor his progress. Emergency e-Visa facility has also been provided to family members to visit Vietnam to support the survivor.
How did this horrific accident happen?
The tragedy occurred on July 11 when a tourist speedboat carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members, capsized near Hoan Me Rut Ngoi island off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island.
According to Vietnamese authorities, the boat, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company, was carrying tourists from Hoan Me Rut islet to An Thoi Port when it fell victim to bad weather and capsized, throwing everyone on board into the sea. Nearby tourist boats and rescue teams responded quickly and brought all passengers to shore. Of the 36 people on board the boat, 21 survived while 15 Indian tourists lost their lives. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)