Hanoi, July 12 (IANS) The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who died in a boat accident in Vietnam are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City and will be flown back to India at the earliest after official formalities are completed, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam said on Sunday. The Embassy said that it is closely coordinating with Vietnamese authorities for earliest transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India. "The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who tragically passed away in yesterday’s boat accident are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City and will reach there by this evening. After completion of formalities at Ho Chi Minh the mortal remains would be transported to India at the earliest. The Embassy and the Consulate teams are closely coordinating with the Vietnamese authorities who have assured all assistance for earliest transportation of the mortal remains to India", it said in a post on X.

In an earlier statement, the Indian Embassy said: "After obtaining medical treatment, 15 survivors of yesterday’s tragic boat accident have been discharged from hospital and are travelling back to India. 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 and Consulate teams are at Phu Quoc for any assistance." As many as 15 people, including 10 tourists from Tamil Nadu, were killed after a tourist boat carrying Indian visitors capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, turning what was intended to be a reward trip into a devastating accident.

According to preliminary reports, the boat was carrying around 32 Indian tourists, including 17 from Tamil Nadu, while the remaining passengers were from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala. The vessel reportedly overturned while cruising in waters south of Phu Quoc, a popular tourist destination in southern Vietnam. Soon after the incident, rescue teams, local residents and emergency personnel rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale rescue operation. Several passengers were pulled from the water, while rescuers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to those found unconscious in an attempt to save their lives.

Despite the swift emergency response, authorities confirmed that 15 people lost their lives in the accident, while the survivors were rescued and provided medical assistance. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been officially disclosed. Vietnamese authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the boat capsizing.

--IANS