Mortal remains of Vinayakumar who died in Vietnam boat accident, reach his residence in Vellore
Vellore, July 14
The mortal remains of Vinayakumar, a resident of Vellore who died in a tourist boat accident in Vietnam, reached his residence in Vellore on Tuesday, where family members, relatives and locals paid their final respects.
The body of Vinayakumar, a resident of Kannika Parameswari Koil Street in Saidapet, Vellore city, was brought to Chennai from Vietnam and later transported by ambulance to his native place.
Vinayakumar had travelled to Vietnam as part of a South India tour organised by Lava. He lost his life after the tourist boat he was travelling in met with an accident, leaving his family members devastated.
His relatives had earlier appealed to the Central and Tamil Nadu governments to expedite the repatriation of his mortal remains. Following the efforts, the body was flown to Chennai at around 7 am on Tuesday, where officials paid their respects before it was sent to Vellore.
The mortal remains were kept at his residence in Vellore to allow relatives, friends and members of the public to pay their last respects.
Vellore Tahsildar Palani paid floral tributes to the deceased, while government officials and members of the public offered wreaths and expressed condolences.
Speaking about the efforts made to bring back Vinayakumar's body, his father-in-law, Prabhakaran, expressed gratitude towards the Tamil Nadu government and officials.
"First of all, I would like to thank Chief Minister Vijay for directing the authorities to ensure that Vinayakumar's body was brought back. I also thank Vellore MLA Vinoth Kannan, the government officials, and Salem DIG Santhosh for their support. Vinoth Kannan stood by our family like one of our own and took care of all the necessary arrangements. We sincerely express our gratitude to him and to the Tamil Nadu Government," he said emotionally.
The tragedy occurred on July 11 when a tourist speedboat carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members, capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island.
According to Vietnamese authorities, the vessel, operated by Ocean Pearl Island Company, was ferrying tourists from Hon May Rut Islet to An Thoi Port when it encountered rough weather and overturned, throwing everyone on board into the sea.
Nearby tourist boats and rescue teams responded swiftly and brought all passengers ashore. Of the 36 people on board, 21 survived while 15 Indian tourists lost their lives.
Among those killed were 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is so sad. My heart goes out to Vinayakumar's family and all the families who lost their dear ones. 😭 The fact that it took a few days to bring the body back shows how complex these international repatriations can be. Thankful to the CM and MLA for stepping up. At least the family got closure. But 15 Indian tourists dead in one accident is just unacceptable—hope Vietnam holds the boat company accountable.
A tragic reminder of how fragile life is. One moment you're on a holiday, next moment you're gone. 🥀 I appreciate the Tamil Nadu government's efforts—they really went out of their way to help. But I wish the travel company, Lava, had chosen a safer boat operator. As Indians, we often overlook safety standards when booking tours. This should be a lesson for all of us to be more careful. RIP to all the victims.
My deepest condolences to the families. It's especially painful that so many were from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, and Kerala—our own people. The father-in-law's gratitude towards the CM and MLA is touching. But I have to ask: why are our tourists being taken to such risky locations without proper safety briefings? The boat capsized in rough weather—could this have been avoided with better planning? We need answers.
This is a terrible tragedy. 15 lives lost in a single accident is devastating. I'm glad the Indian government worked with Vietnam to repatriate the bodies quickly. It's a small comfort, but at least the families can give their loved ones a dignified farewell. I hope both countries investigate this thoroughly to prevent future incidents. RIP to all the souls. 🙏
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