‘Boat flipped in 3 minutes’: Vietnam boat tragedy survivor recounts horror

A survivor of the Vietnam speedboat tragedy, Nirmal Kumar from Tamil Nadu, recounted how a violent wave capsized the vessel near Phu Quoc Island on July 11, killing 15 Indian tourists, 10 from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Kerala.

Chennai: In a chilling first-hand account of the recent speed boat tragedy in Vietnam, Nirmal Kumar, one of the survivors who arrived here on July 13 night, recounted the horrific moments when a routine island-to-island transit turned into a deadly disaster within minutes.

A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai off Phu Quoc Island on 11 July, killing 15 Indian tourists.

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Sixteen others were rescued and have returned to India after receiving medical treatment, while one survivor remains in critical condition at a hospital in Phu Quoc.

Of the 15 victims, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, three were from Andhra Pradesh, and two were from Kerala. Two of the deceased were women.

Kumar, who stayed back to assist in the recovery operations, revealed that a sudden, violent wave capsized their closed speed boat just 300 meters into their journey, trapping 15 passengers underwater.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Kumar, who hails from Palani in Dindigul district, said the group had boarded a large, closed speed boat on July 11 to travel from one island to another during the final leg of their trip, which began on July 8.

“Within three minutes of boarding and barely crossing 300 meters, the boat went upside down,” Kumar said.

“A massive, extremely rough wave hit the boat, causing it to tilt slightly. Suddenly, the passengers on the left side fell toward the right, shifting the entire weight and flipping the boat completely upside down,” he said.

Kumar explained that the driver and the guide were the first to jump into the water. Seeing them, he and about 20 other passengers immediately jumped out and managed to escape. However, those seated in the back were not as fortunate.

“Because it was a closed boat, about 15 members got trapped inside. Even though they were wearing life jackets, the capsized boat pinned them down, and they couldn’t make it out,” he added.

The rescue teams arrived at the spot within 10 minutes, pulling out the survivors who were floating outside. However, it took 20 to 30 minutes to recover those trapped underneath the vessel.

Kumar suffered a personal loss in the accident, revealing that his childhood friend, Muruga Prabhu, was among the deceased. “I only left Vietnam after ensuring his body was recovered and the necessary procedures were completed,” a distraught Kumar said.

He said a doctor who was part of the tour group noted that a lack of immediate medical supplies on-site hampered initial life-saving efforts. “Our co-passenger doctor mentioned that if certain medicines had been readily available at the spot, four to five more lives could have been saved. We are explaining this to the Vietnam government,” Kumar stated.

Out of the total 36 people on board (32 passengers and 4 crew members), a significant number hailed from Tamil Nadu. Kumar confirmed that 10 victims belonged to the state.

“Four from Chennai, three from Tiruchirapalli and one each from Salem, Erode, and Tiruppur,” he added.

The mortal remains of the victims reached Mumbai at 9.30 pm on July 13 and are scheduled to be flown into Chennai and Coimbatore on Tuesday morning. The government has coordinated all necessary arrangements to receive the bodies and hand them over to their respective families.

Expressing gratitude toward the Indian Embassy and the Vietnam government for their round-the-clock coordination, Kumar urged both the Central and state governments to extend financial assistance to the grieving families.

“It was an unexpected tragedy on foreign soil. The families are devastated, and it would be immensely helpful if the government could announce a relief package to support them,” Kumar appealed before leaving the airport.