Vietnam Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung expresses condolences on boat tragedy during meeting with Indian Ambassador Tshering Sherpa
Hanoi, July 15
Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, Tshering W. Sherpa, met Le Hoai Trung, Politburo Member and Foreign Minister of Vietnam, on Wednesday. During their meeting, Foreign Minister Trung expressed profound condolences on the tragic boat accident near Phu Quoc island which claimed 15 Indian lives. He conveyed his sympathies to the Government and people of India as well as to the families of the deceased.
The details of the meeting were shared by the Indian Embassy in Vietnam in a post on X.
The Ambassador thanked Foreign Minister Trung for the timely, close support and assistance provided by the Vietnamese authorities in this hour of grief. He also expressed his deep appreciation to the Government of Vietnam for facilitating the early repatriation of the mortal remains to India.
"True to our civilisational - ties, the close cooperation between the two sides during this tragedy stood testament to our strong people-to-people bonds. We will continue to work together to strengthen these timeless ties," the post added.
Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said New Delhi is "in touch" with Vietnam following a speedboat accident near Phu Quoc Island that claimed the lives of 15 Indian tourists.
The tragedy struck on July 11 when the 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 amid rough sea conditions.
Regarding the investigation into the tragic incident, in which the Vietnamese authorities have detained a local man from southern An Giang province for alleged legal violations, Jaiswal said that India is in touch to know what happened in the case.
"We understand that the local government has undertaken an investigation, and we are in touch with them to know more about this case and what happened in this particular incident," he said.
The Vietnamese news outlet VN Express International reported that the detainee was identified as Captain Nguyen Hong Hai, 57, a resident of Thuan Tien hamlet, Son Kien commune, An Giang province, who was temporarily staying in the Phu Quoc special zone.
The investigation is ongoing to ensure any violations are strictly dealt with under Vietnamese law, it added.
Earlier, the mortal remains of the 15 Indian tourists who were killed when the speedboat they were travelling in capsized were flown back to Mumbai on Monday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Heartbreaking incident. 15 lives lost is a huge tragedy. I appreciate the Vietnamese authorities for their swift action and the Ambassador Tshering Sherpa for handling the situation. The captain being detained is right - such negligence cannot be tolerated. Our government must ensure compensation reaches the families quickly. 🇮🇳🤝🇻🇳
This is such a tragic incident. My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones. However, I feel the Indian government should have been more proactive in ensuring safety advisories for tourists in such areas before the incident. A speedboat carrying 36 people in rough seas seems like a disaster waiting to happen. We need to learn from this.
Shocking news. The speedboat capsize in Phu Quoc island is a reminder of how quickly vacations can turn into nightmares. Kudos to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister for expressing condolences and helping with repatriation. But I'm concerned about the 'legal violations' - hope the investigation is thorough and justice is served. Also, India should perhaps issue warnings about sea conditions during monsoon seasons in such regions. 😢
Very sad to hear about the 15 Indian tourists who lost their lives. I'm relieved that the mortal remains have been repatriated and that Vietnam is cooperating well. But why were so many tourists on a speedboat in rough seas? The captain should have known better. This tragedy highlights the need for stricter safety norms for tourist boats in Vietnam. Om Shanti to the departed souls. 🙏
This is a wake-up call for Indian tourists and our embassies. The Ambassador did well, but our government needs to issue travel advisories more frequently. Vietnam is a
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