Fifteen dead after tourist speedboat capsizes off coast of Vietnam's largest island

Fifteen tourists were left dead after a speedboat capsized in rough waters near Vietnam's largest island today.

The vessel, operated by Ocean Pear Island Company, was ferrying 32 holidaymakers and four crew members on an island-hopping excursion when disaster struck by Phu Quoc.

Approximately 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai, the accident took place around 1pm local time.

As the boat travelled towards An Thoi Port, all 36 passengers were thrown into the sea. Later, a total of 21 people were pulled from the water alive.

Among the deceased were two women and 13 men, Vietnamese authorities confirmed.

But rescue efforts were revealed to be challenging as a number of tourists remained trapped inside the overturned vessel.

One boat owner who reached the scene within five minutes described the shocking scene, saying that "only a few people were brought out conscious".

The An Thoi Border Guard deployed two vessels along with 35 personnel, coordinating with naval and coastguard units to recover all those aboard by the afternoon.

India's embassy in Vietnam described the crash as "tragic" and confirmed it had set up emergency response centres in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to support affected families.

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said he was "extremely saddened to learn about the tragic news of a boat accident involving Indian nationals".

"My sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers for the early recovery of the injured survivors," he said.

The embassy added "exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing".

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It also set up a telephone hotline to "provide information and assistance to affected families".

Hon May Rut Islet sits between 10 and 12 kilometres south of An Thoi, just around 20 to 40 minutes away.

Despite rough seas at the time of the accident, other tourist vessels continued operating in the vicinity, with no rainfall reported.

A company representative confirmed the captain, aged in his 50s, had extensive experience piloting passenger craft.

Hon May Rut Ngoai, a small island tucked away in the An Thoi Archipelago, is a known island-hopping spot for tourists, attracting those keen to complete a boat tour.

The official cause of the incident remains unknown while authorities continue to carry out investigations.

Nguyen Tien Hai, who is a senior Communist official in the area where the boat crash took place, said the authorities were still yet to confirm the number of fatalities.

"The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive," Mr Hai said.

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