A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and 4 crew members capsized on July 11 near Hon May Rut Ngoai island, about 400 meters off southern Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island at around 1 PM local time [1, 2, 3]. Fifteen people died, all identified as Indian tourists, including 13 men and 2 women [1, 4, 2]. Twenty-one others were rescued and given medical treatment, with two reported in critical condition [1, 5, 3].
Local navy, coastguard, border guards, and tourist vessels responded promptly to the accident, carrying out rescue operations despite challenges from many passengers being trapped inside the overturned speedboat [1, 6]. Ha Van Loc, a witness to the rescue effort, said, "Many passengers were adrift without life jackets; we threw lifebuoys to them and called for more help" [4].
The speedboat was operated by Ocean Pear Island Company, a local tour operator [2]. Investigations suggest strong winds and high waves caused the capsize, making the incident unavoidable, according to senior official Nguyen Tien Hai who said, "Initial assessments suggest this was due to heavy winds and high waves" [1, 7]. Hai emphasized, "The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive" [1].
Vietnamese police arrested the captain, aged about 50 to 57, on July 12 on suspicion of legal violations related to the accident [4, 2]. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung ordered a thorough investigation and mandated accountability while reviewing maritime safety measures in the area [8].
Phu Quoc Island has seen a surge in tourism, with over 5.7 million visitors recorded in the first half of 2026, a 30% increase year-on-year [2, 3]. Authorities are continuing to investigate the exact causes and carrying out safety reviews to prevent similar incidents.
The investigation into the accident and safety reviews remain ongoing [8, 6].
