Survivor recounts horror of Vietnam boat mishap as bodies arrive in Chennai; tributes paid to deceased
Chennai, July 14
The mortal remains of Indian tourists who lost their lives in the tragic boat capsize incident in Vietnam arrived at the Chennai International Airport on Tuesday and were handed over to their families amidst sombre tributes.
Nirmal Kumar, a survivor of the accident from Palani, also arrived at the airport and shared a harrowing firsthand account of the moments leading up to the tragedy on July 11.
"When we were going from one island to another, the boat was upside down. The 20 people who were sitting on the side tried to escape by jumping into the sea. 15 people who were stuck inside the boat were unable to come out because the boat was closed, so they couldn't come out of the boat immediately," Nirmal Kumar said.
The survivor noted that the delay in the arrival of the rescue teams made the situation even more critical for those trapped.
"Before the rescue team came, it took 10 minutes. So the people who jumped have only survived the entire thing. The Indian government and the Vietnamese government have supported us in recovering the bodies, and they have given all the medical help and everything they have done," he added.
Among the deceased was CB Vinay Kumar, a businessman from Vellore who had travelled to Vietnam to attend a distributors' conference. His father-in-law, while receiving the remains, expressed deep gratitude for the swift response of the authorities.
"CB Vinay Kumar is my son-in-law. He's a businessman... He had gone to Vietnam to attend a distributors' conference... But before he could get to the island, this bad situation happened... I thank the Tamil Nadu government, the central government, and the Consulate of the Indian Government in Vietnam, Priyanka. She prioritised this situation, acted extraordinarily, gave us minute-to-minute information," he told ANI.
He also lauded the efforts of Vellore MLA Vinoth, who has been supporting the family throughout the crisis.
"We cannot convey in words our sincerity towards the Velur MLA... He rendered all sorts of help to us... We will never forget such a humanitarian person. He was with us for the past two, three days, he acquainted us, called us many times, and replied as soon as I called him," he added.
Vellore Assembly Constituency MLA Vinoth, along with cadres from the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), were also present at the airport to pay their respects. Visuals from the airport showed people laying floral wreaths and paying tribute as the bodies were handed over by the airlines to the relatives and state officials.
The mortal remains of the 15 Indian tourists who were killed when the speedboat they were travelling in capsized were flown back to Mumbai yesterday.
The tragedy struck 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.
The deceased individuals include 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Keralam.
— ANI
Reader Comments
My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones 🙏 The father-in-law's gratitude shows how critical government support is in such crises. But I can't help but wonder—why were 32 tourists packed into one speedboat? Overcrowding is a red flag. Also, the fact that 15 people were trapped inside because the boat was closed is alarming. Shouldn't boats have emergency exits? This is a failure of international safety standards.
Very sad news. The way the Tamil Nadu government and the central government coordinated with Vietnam is commendable. Priyanka, the consul, deserves full credit for her efforts. But I feel we also need to discuss why such accidents keep happening to Indian tourists abroad. Are we doing enough to screen tour operators and warn travelers? My friends went to Vietnam last year and said safety standards were lax. This should be a wake-up call for the tourism ministry.
Gut-wrenching to read about Nirmal Kumar's experience. He survived because he jumped—others weren't so lucky. Imagine the horror of being trapped inside an overturned boat 😞 I appreciate the quick response from authorities here, but why didn't the Vietnamese crew or operator take basic precautions? Life jackets, safety briefings, proper boat maintenance—these are non-negotiable. Also, kudos to Vellore MLA Vinoth for standing by the family. That's real leadership.
This is a terrible tragedy. My deepest condolences to all families. The survivor's account is terrifying—the boat flipped, people jumped, but 15 were trapped. I salute the Indian diplomatic team and local authorities for handling repatriation so efficiently. Yet, I think we need to question why such incidents are becoming common. Whether it's a boat in Vietnam or a bus in Nepal, Indian tourists deserve better safety assurances. Maybe the government should issue a travel advisory with safety checks for tours.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.