Vietnam boat tragedy: Survivors allege crew negligence, delayed rescue worsened death toll

Survivors of the speedboat accident near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island in Vietnam, which claimed the lives of 15 Indian tourists, have alleged that crew negligence, delayed rescue efforts and slow emergency medical care worsened the tragedy.

Vietnamese police have detained the captain of a speedboat. 57-year-old Nguyen Hong Hai is under investigation for alleged violations of waterway transport safety regulations, according to the state media.

The accident occurred less than 500 metres off the island on Saturday afternoon as the closed speedboat, carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members, was returning from Phu Quoc Island. The victims included 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala, while 17 others were injured.

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Passengers who survived said the vessel overturned within seconds after being struck by rough seas and strong winds. They also claimed that quicker rescue operations and timely medical treatment could have saved more lives.

The 15 victims were part of a company-sponsored trip organised by Lava International, the Indian smartphone and consumer electronics manufacturer said. The tour included the company's employees, distributors and retail partners.

Among those on the trip was Ashish Kumar, a 48-year-old Lava distributor from Guntur, who said the group had divided into three batches to travel between islands. He witnessed the accident from the shore.

“We screamed, ‘Help! Help!’,” he told The Associated Press, adding that the boat was relatively close to the shore when it capsized.

Passengers blame crew and rescue delays

Eyewitnesses said all passengers had been given life jackets, but many were not properly fastened. Several people reportedly drowned after becoming trapped beneath the overturned vessel despite wearing the safety gear.

Golla Sai Naveen from Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district told TOI, "Most passengers wore life jackets, but many got trapped beneath the overturned boat. Some were inside a cabin and had no way out."

He also alleged that rescue boats reached the scene nearly three hours after the accident.

According to passengers travelling in other boats, the first of four vessels carrying a 108-member business tour from south India lost balance after being battered by powerful waves and gusty winds. Panic spread as passengers rushed to one side of the boat, causing it to overturn.

Srinivasa Rao of Tadepalligudem in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district, who was travelling in the second boat, said, "The first boat began rocking violently because of strong waves. We watched the whole tragedy unfold. Everyone shifted to one side and the boat overturned within seconds. It was entirely due to the driver's negligence."

'I saw my friends dying'

Survivors described helplessly witnessing the disaster unfold from nearby boats.

"I saw my friends dying in front of my eyes. But I couldn't do anything," said Mahipal Sanvi, a Lava phone distributor from Vijayawada who returned to Hyderabad on Sunday night.

"Had our friends received medical assistance on time, at least half of them would be alive today."

Sanvi said fellow passengers attempted to rescue those trapped inside the vessel and administered CPR.

"Whatever we knew, we did... including CPR. We even tried to help them get out of the boat. But that was not enough."

He further alleged that emergency treatment was delayed even after survivors reached a government hospital.

"The rescued passengers were rushed to hospital, but there were no doctors for a long time," he said.

"Had CPR and emergency treatment been available immediately, more lives could possibly have been saved."

Survivors describe trauma

Another survivor, Siva Ganesh from Visakhapatnam, claimed assistance remained limited even after those rescued reached safety.

"Until we came back to the main island, which was about an hour away, there was hardly any help," he said.

Prasad from Warangal, who was travelling with his wife and two sons, said the family continued to struggle with the trauma.

"My wife hasn't eaten a morsel. My sons too are scared," he said.

Authorities have not responded to the allegations made by the survivors.

One victim remains critical

The Andhra Pradesh government said Machilipatnam businessman Gelli Kishore remains in critical condition, while his wife Gelli Jaya Lakshmi was among those killed in the accident.

Officials said Kishore developed complications while being shifted from Phu Quoc government hospital, forcing doctors to postpone his transfer. He remains unconscious in the intensive care unit after doctors detected a small blood clot in his brain and is expected to be airlifted to Ho Chi Minh City once his condition stabilises.