Fifteen Indian visitors died when a speedboat overturned close to Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam on the afternoon of 11 July 2026. Twenty-one other passengers were rescued and taken to medical facilities. Vietnamese officials confirmed that all thirty-six people aboard were brought to shore.
The vessel carried thirty-two Indian tourists and four crew members on its return journey to An Thoi Port after a sightseeing trip. Rescue units from the border guard, navy, coast guard and local boats responded quickly with life rafts and jet skis. Investigators are examining the incident, with rough seas and possible equipment problems considered likely factors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then in New Zealand at the end of a regional tour, expressed condolences on social media shortly after the event.
The Indian Embassy in Vietnam published the names of the thirty-two tourists via social media. Ten of those who died came from Tamil Nadu, two from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and others from Telangana. Three people from Andhra Pradesh remain in hospital. State minister Kondapalli Srinivas stated that authorities are gathering details and monitoring developments closely.
The excursion was arranged by Vietnam-based Threeland Travel with local partner Sai Vietnam. Some reports suggest the group may have been on a corporate outing linked to Lava Mobile, though this remains unconfirmed.
Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island in the Gulf of Thailand and a popular Southeast Asian beach destination known for coral reefs and water activities. An Thoi port serves as the main departure point for boat tours, and surrounding waters can change quickly during the May-to-October monsoon period.
The embassy set up emergency centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to support families, liaise with local authorities and arrange identification and return of remains. Helplines continue to operate. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin offered condolences and confirmed coordination with central and embassy officials to repatriate bodies.
Social media videos showed rough conditions and rescue personnel using jet skis and rafts in the area. Vietnamese authorities continue to investigate the cause while the embassy works on formal notifications and repatriation with state governments in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
