Chennai , 11 July (H.S.):

A pleasure trip to Vietnam ended in tragedy on Saturday when a tourist boat carrying a large group of Indian visitors capsized off Phu Quoc Island, killing 15 people, including eight tourists from Tamil Nadu. Several others were rescued after an extensive search and rescue operation by Vietnamese emergency services.

The victims were part of a tour group comprising around 32 Indian tourists. The group included 17 people from Tamil Nadu, while the remaining passengers were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The boat was on a sightseeing trip near Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam's most popular island destinations, when it overturned in waters south of the island. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

Emergency responders, local fishermen and rescue personnel rushed to the scene immediately after the boat capsized. Survivors were pulled from the sea, while medical teams administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to several unconscious passengers. Despite the rescue efforts, 15 people succumbed to drowning. Officials continued search operations for hours to ensure that all passengers had been accounted for.

Among those killed was 44-year-old Murugaprabhu from Palani in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district. His death has shocked the business community in the town, where he was well known as a distributor for Lava International's mobile phone business.

Murugaprabhu and fellow distributor Nirmal Kumar had travelled to Vietnam after qualifying for an incentive tour organised by the company in recognition of their outstanding sales performance. The overseas trip was intended as a reward for top-performing distributors.

Indian Embassy officials in Vietnam have informed Murugaprabhu's family that steps are under way to repatriate his mortal remains. The embassy is coordinating with Vietnamese authorities and assisting the families of the victims.

The identities of the remaining deceased are expected to be officially released after local authorities complete the identification process and inform their next of kin. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident are continuing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman