The bodies of the 15 Indian tourists killed in a speedboat accident off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City before being flown to India, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi said on Sunday.
The embassy also said 16 of the 17 rescued Indian tourists are on their way back to India, while one remains in critical condition at a hospital in Phu Quoc.
The victims died after a speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai, off Phu Quoc Island, on Saturday. The remaining passengers were rescued.
"The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who tragically passed away in yesterday’s boat accident are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City and will reach there by this evening," the embassy said in a post on X.
"After completion of formalities at Ho Chi Minh the mortal remains would be transported to India at the earliest," it said.
The embassy said its teams were closely coordinating with the Vietnamese authorities, who have assured all assistance to facilitate the earliest transportation of the mortal remains to India.
Victims from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
Of the 15 victims, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala. Two of those killed were women, according to a list shared by the embassy.
The deceased from Tamil Nadu were identified as Senthil Kumar Jayavel, Muruga Prabhu Arumugam, Sridhar Sundararajan, Shaik Abdullah Abdul Majeed, Balaji Natesan, Vinaya Kumar Chithirapuram Bhaskara, Ravisankar Sugumaran, Santosh Kumar Shantilaljain, Babu Kuppuswamy and Alagurajan Sivasamy.
The victims from Andhra Pradesh were Nallapeta Adiseshaiah Raviteja, Sreedhar Mudiam and Jaya Lakshmi Gelli, while those from Kerala were Avicot Cheriyan Thomas and Loveni Thomas.
The governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have issued helpline numbers to assist the families of those affected.
Survivors return as one remains hospitalised
Earlier on Sunday, the embassy said 16 of the 17 survivors had been discharged from hospital and were returning to India.
"After obtaining medical treatment, 15 survivors of yesterday’s tragic boat accident have been discharged from hospital and are travelling back to India," the embassy said in a separate post on X.
"Of the two patients in critical care, one has been discharged and is travelling back to India. The other is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Phu Quoc," it said.
The embassy added that its teams, along with officials from the Indian consulate, were stationed in Phu Quoc to provide assistance.
Also Watch:
Investigation ordered into accident
Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, is a popular tourist destination known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping excursions.
The tourists were reportedly returning from an island visit when the speedboat capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai in the An Thoi archipelago. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has ordered an investigation into the incident and directed authorities to hold those responsible accountable, according to local media.
