Boat carrying tourists had barely left shore when it capsized, says witness
A boat carrying Indian tourists capsized off the coast of a Vietnamese island, resulting in fatalities and injuries. The group, consisting of employees and partners of Lava Mobile, was on a company outing when the vessel overturned shortly after departure.
Why it matters
This tragic accident highlights the risks associated with international tourism and raises questions regarding safety standards and emergency medical response protocols in popular travel destinations.
The boat carrying Indian tourists that capsized off an island in south Vietnam on Saturday (July 11, 2026) had barely travelled 300 m - 400 m from the shore when it suddenly overturned, an Indian national who witnessed the tragedy said.
Ashish Kumar, a 48-year-old distributor of a mobile phone company from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, said the tourists were divided into batches and ferried to the island as part of a company outing. "We had all gone there as sellers, distributors and employees of Lava Mobile. We reached Vietnam on July 9 and were supposed to return to India on Sunday morning," Mr. Kumar told PTI over the phone.
He said one of the three boats carrying 32 Indian tourists had left the Hon May Rut Ngoai island for another island, while the remaining two groups were still on Hon May Rut Ngoai, taking photographs.
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