Mortal remains of 15 Indian nationals killed in Vietnam boat accident arrive in India

Mumbai, July 13 (IANS) The flight carrying the mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who died in a boat accident near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam arrived at Mumbai airport on Monday.

“The flight transporting the mortal remains of the Indian nationals who had lost their lives in the tragic boat accident on 11 July in Phu Quoc has just arrived in Mumbai,” the Indian Embassy in Vietnam wrote on X.

“The Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City will continue to coordinate with respective State Governments to ensure that the mortal remains reach the bereaved families at the earliest. Our prayers are with the families of the deceased,” it added.

The state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will coordinate the transportation of mortal remains to their final destinations within their respective states.

Meanwhile, the Indian national undergoing treatment at Phu Quoc after the tragic boat accident successfully underwent a medical procedure on Sunday evening. According to the Indian Embassy, he was admitted to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday, and his family members have also arrived in the country.

The Vietnamese police in southern An Giang province on Sunday detained and initiated criminal proceedings against a local man over alleged legal violations linked to the tourist boat that capsized. The detainee was identified as 57-year-old captain Nguyen Hong Hai, a resident of Thuan Tien hamlet in Son Kien commune, An Giang province, who was temporarily residing in the Phu Quoc special zone.

According to preliminary reports, the boat was carrying around 32 Indian tourists, including 17 from Tamil Nadu, while the remaining passengers were from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala.

The vessel reportedly overturned while cruising in waters south of Phu Quoc, a popular tourist destination in southern Vietnam. Soon after the incident, rescue teams, local residents, and emergency personnel rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale rescue operation.

–IANS

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