Vietnam boat tragedy leaves victims' families in mourning
Tiruchirappalli, July 11
The families of at least 15 Indian nationals remain in mourning after their kin were killed in a boat capsize incident near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday.
The Embassy of India in Vietnam, in a list of the deceased, stated that 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala died in the speedboat tragedy.
According to Arja Srikanth, Special Commissioner and Special Representative for the Andhra Pradesh Government at AP Bhavan in New Delhi, Vietnamese authorities earlier in the day confirmed 15 fatalities, including 13 men and two women, all Indian tourists. 21 people, including 17 passengers and four crew members, were rescued and admitted to hospitals, while two survivors remain in critical condition and are receiving intensive medical care.
In Tamil Nadu's Palani, relatives of Murugaprabhu Arumugam, one of the victims of the tragedy, appealed to the state and central governments to facilitate the return of his mortal remains.
"My younger brother, Murugaprabhu Arumugam, travelled to Vietnam three days ago. We received the shocking news that he died in the boat accident. We sincerely appeal to the state and central governments to take immediate steps to bring his mortal remains back to India," Karthikeyan said.
In Tiruchirappalli of Tamil Nadu, family members and colleagues of Alaguraja, who was among those killed in the accident, were inconsolable. His uncle, Thangavelu, said Alaguraja had travelled to Vietnam on a company-sponsored tour.
"My nephew Alaguraja, who was married to my daughter, was working as an Assistant Sales Manager at a mobile company. He left Tiruchirappalli for Vietnam on July 8 along with his colleagues as part of a company-sponsored trip. He had even spoken to us over the phone this morning. We were later informed this evening about the tragic accident. We are devastated and deeply saddened by the loss," he said.
Balaji, a colleague of Alaguraja, said three employees from their Tiruchirappalli team lost their lives in the accident.
"Our mobile company organised a tour to Vietnam after we achieved our sales target. It is extremely painful that three employees from our Tiruchirappalli team lost their lives in this tragic boat accident. We are all in deep shock and grief," he said.
Gelli Jayalakshmi of Machilipatnam from Andhra Pradesh was among those killed in the accident. Her husband, Kishor, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Vietnam.
A family friend of the couple told ANI, "I received the tragic news that my friend's wife, Jayalakshmi, died in the boat accident. Kishor also suffered severe injuries and is now in the ICU in Vietnam. She was a good lady, and her death is not only a loss to his family but also to Machilipatnam. We request the government to take immediate steps to bring her body back from Vietnam."
According to VN Express, citing authorities in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, the speedboat, operated by Ocean Pear Island Company, was ferrying tourists from Hon May Rut Islet to An Thoi Port, around 25 kilometres from Phu Quoc Airport, when it overturned in the afternoon (local time), throwing all those on board into the sea.
According to the news report, nearby tourist boats rushed to the scene after spotting the capsized vessel.
A boat owner involved in the rescue operation said his vessel reached the site within about five minutes, but rescue efforts were hampered as several passengers were trapped inside the overturned speedboat, VN Express reported.
By Saturday late afternoon, rescuers had brought all 36 passengers ashore.
21 people survived, while 15 others - comprising two women and 13 men - were confirmed dead, VN Express reported.
— ANI
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