Vietnam: Boat Carrying 32 Indians Capsizes Near Phu Quoc Island; At least 15 Dead

A boat carrying several Indian tourists capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Friday and 15 people, including two women are dead, according to VnExpress.

The passenger vessel, operated by Ocean Pear Island Company, was carrying tourists from Hon May Rut to An Thoi Port-a route roughly 25 kilometers from Phu Quoc Airport when it capsized around 1 pm (local time_ about 400 meters off Hon May Rut Ngoai.

Speaking to OneIndia, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi said the exact death toll has not been ascertained yet. The embassy added that it is closely monitoring the situation.

The vessel had 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant. 21 people were rescued and taken to hospital.

All passengers were thrown into the sea, according to initial reports from the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone administration.

Nearby tourist boats rushed to the scene after spotting the overturned craft. One rescue boat operator, who arrived within five minutes, told local media that many of the trapped passengers could not be brought out in time.

In its official statement, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam said that the search and rescue operations.

"In a tragic incident, a boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam a few hours ago," the embassy said in a social media post. It announced the establishment of emergency control rooms at the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi, providing contact numbers for affected families seeking information.

The tourism-dependent island has seen a sharp rise in visitors this year. Phu Quoc recorded 5.7 million arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 30% increase year-on-year, according to the provincial Department of Tourism. Foreign tourist numbers alone jumped 50% to 1.32 million during the same period.

Rescue teams remain on site, and authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the capsizing. Officials have not yet released the full passenger manifest or nationalities of all those on board, though the embassy has confirmed Indian nationals were among the victims.

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Last year around the same time, 39 people lost lives after a tourist boat carrying 48 people capsized in Ha Long Bay. The vessel had 48 people including children and women.