New Delhi [India], July 14 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday 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.
During a press briefing here, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed condolences for the loss of lives in the tragic incident and expressed hopes for the swift recovery of one injured person, undergoing treatment in Vietnam. He affirmed that the Indian and Vietnamese authorities arranged the timely repatriation of the mortal remains of the 15 nationals to India.
"Very tragic incident. We conveyed our condolences. We were in a position to swiftly undertake whatever we had to, and the mortal remains of those 15 people who unfortunately died in this tragic incident, they have come back home. One person is still recovering. He is there. He is injured. He is receiving treatment in Vietnam," he stated.
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 yesterday.
The deceased individuals include 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Keralam.
Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone Chairman Tran Minh Khoa has stated that residents and authorities made "tireless rescue and relief efforts" under severe weather conditions to save the victims, refuting allegations of delays in rescue operations during the recent speedboat tragedy in Vietnam.
Addressing the allegations directly, Khoa stated, "The information referred to above does not accurately reflect the actual circumstances of the incident response, nor the tireless rescue and relief efforts undertaken by residents and the Vietnamese authorities."
Local operators and residents immediately deployed available watercraft under the area's standing "four-on-the-spot" search and rescue plan, alongside the rapid deployment of border guards, military, police, coast guard, naval and medical units.
Despite treacherous waves and winds, responders successfully pulled all 36 individuals from the water. While 17 survivors were successfully rescued and treated at Sun International Hospital, 15 individuals tragically lost their lives.