Vietnamese authorities on Sunday detained the captain of the AG 26751 speedboat that capsized off Hon May Rut (May Rut Island) on July 11, killing 15 Indians onboard.
The An Giang Provincial Police Investigation Agency detained 57-year-old Nguyen Hong Hai for allegedly violating regulations in the maritime accident, as per a report from Vietnamese news agency VNS.
This comes after Nguyen Tien Hai, Secretary of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee, had claimed that both the tourism operator and the vessel were licensed, and met all the conditions for passenger transport and departure procedures.
Yet, apart from the probe into the possible "malfunction" that took place before the speedboat capsized in the choppy waters on July 11, the authorities are also looking into how overcrowding may have contributed to the tragedy.
This is because the AG 26751 had been carrying 36 people onboard—32 Indians, three crew members, and one tour guide, while its registration details allegedly showed it had a designated capacity of 34 people and a total load limit of 2.89 tonnes.
This is the latest development in the probe into the maritime accident, which took place while the vessel had been headed for the An Thoi Port.
The accident, which took place at around 1 PM (local time) on Saturday, saw everyone onboard fall into the rough seas of the Phu Quoc SEZ.
While the locals acted first, 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.
17 of the 21 people rescued were Indian tourists, of which 15 have been cleared to return to India, as per an update from the Indian Embassy in Vietnam. The other four were the vessel's three crew members, plus the tour guide.
"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. We continue to pray for his early recovery," the Embassy added.
It also said that the mortal remains of the 15 people who died in the accident were at Ho Chi Minh, where they would be transported to India after formalities were completed.
To show solidarity with the victims and their families, the An Giang Provincial Government, the leaders of the Phu Quoc SEZ, and businesses, have promised VND 90 million per person for those who died, and VND 13 million per person for those who were injured, local media reports said.
