Vietnam boat tragedy due to 'malfunction' or bad weather? 15 Indians killed; what we know so far
Vietnamese authorities are probing whether the speedboat that capsized off Hon May Rut did so due to a 'malfunction' or bad weather
Vietnamese authorities are probing whether the speedboat that capsized off the May Rut Island did so due to a 'malfunction' or bad weather.
Vietnamese authorities are probing whether the speedboat that capsized off the May Rut Island did so due to a 'malfunction' or bad weather.
Vietnamese authorities are probing whether the speedboat that capsized off the May Rut Island did so due to a 'malfunction' or bad weather.
Hours after a speedboat capsized near Vietnam's Hon May Rut (May Rut Island) on Saturday, the question arises whether it was a "malfunction" that led to the tragedy, or if it was bad weather.
It was at around 1 PM local time (about 11:30 AM IST) that the AG 26751, owned by the Ocean Pearl Island Company, capsized in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, leading to the deaths of at least 15 of the 32 Indians who had been onboard.
21 passengers were rescued, and admitted to hospitals in the region.
The remainder of the 36 people onboard who died were three crew members, including the speedboat's captain, 57-year-old Nguyen Hong Hai, and a tour guide.
It was en route to the An Thoi International Port that the speedboat allegedly "malfunctioned and capsized", as per a statement from state news portal Vietnam.vn.
Though bad weather has been highlighted as the primary cause of the incident, authorities are investigating the finer details of the possible malfunction that happened aboard the speedboat.
In that regard, no details have been released about the specific nature of the possible malfunction—whether it was an engine failure, a steering malfunction, a hull breach, or something else entirely—that left the boat adrift in choppy waters.
This led to everyone aboard the vessel falling into the sea, which led to several nearby tourist boats coming to the rescue as leaders of the Phu Quoc SEZ directed the authorities to urgently coordinate rescue operations.
The An Thoi Border Guard Station then deployed two vessels, alongside 35 officers and soldiers to participate in the rescue operation, in coordination with the navy, coast guard, and other relevant forces.
One boat owner involved in the rescue told local media outlet 24H that it took him about five minutes to reach the scene, after which passengers being trapped inside the speedboat made the rescue difficult.
"Only a few people were brought out conscious," the person said, adding that at the time of the accident, the An Thoi area had high tide, despite no rain.
The person also added that the AG 26751 had not been alone—many tourist boats had been operating in the region as well, which again points to a possible malfunction, though THE WEEK could not independently verify this.
Vietnamese PM Le Minh Hung condoled the losses, and instructed the Ministry of Public Security to direct the An Giang Provincial Police and other relevant police units to probe the root cause of the accident.
So far, Nguyen Tien Hai, Secretary of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee, has claimed that both the tourism operator and the vessel were licensed, and met all the conditions for passenger transport and departure procedures, as per a VnExpress report.
"The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive," he added.
"Our Embassy and Consulate are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with the Vietnamese authorities," wrote Indian PM Narendra Modi in an X post, also condoling the losses.