Vietnamese police arrested on Sunday (Jul 12) the captain of a speedboat that capsized near southern Phu Quoc island, killing 15 Indian tourists, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Saturday as the boat carrying 32 Indian tourists, three Vietnamese crew members and a tour guide overturned in rough seas off May Rut Ngoai islet, state media said.
Sailors and rescuers recovered 21 people, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, but 15 passengers died.
Police in southern An Giang province said they arrested the 57-year-old captain of the boat for "violations of laws" resulting in the capsize.
Tuoi Tre reported that "initial assessments by Vietnamese authorities suggest this was an unavoidable incident caused by extreme weather conditions" that shifted rapidly.
State media quoted sailors involved in the rescue effort as saying there were high waves but no rain at the time, and several other tourist boats were operating in the area.
One witness, Ha Van Loc, said he spotted the overturned vessel with about a dozen men clinging to its hull.
Several people were drifting at sea and not wearing life jackets, Loc said, according to state outlet VNExpress.
Loc and his crew threw lifebuoys with ropes to pull them aboard his boat and called for additional help, with jet skis used to transport victims ashore.
At least 15 survivors have been discharged from hospital and were travelling back to India, New Delhi's embassy in Hanoi said on Sunday, adding that one person in critical condition was receiving treatment at a hospital in Phu Quoc.
The bodies of the 15 deceased would be transported to India, the embassy said. Located just south of Vietnam's largest island Phu Quoc, May Rut Ngoai is known for its pristine blue waters, white sand beaches and accessible diving reefs.
Visitors often access the islet and others nearby via speedboat from the main island.
State media reports on Sunday said several tourism companies suspended their speedboat services between the islets after the deadly capsize.
Phu Quoc has seen a major tourism boom in recent years, with more than 1.8 million foreigners visiting the island last year.
Boating accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian nation, where extreme weather, frequent flooding and inadequate maintenance have led to tragedies.
Source: AFP
– Agencies
