Along with the Embassy in Hanoi, India has a consulate in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh.

The boat involved in the accident was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members from Hon May Rut to An Thoi Port when it capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai.

The deceased include 10 from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala. The Embassy added that, along with the Consulate teams and the Vietnamese authorities, it remains committed to facilitating the earliest repatriation.

‘Waiting for information’

In Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa town, the family of mobile showroom owner M Sreedhar, who was one of the deceased according to the list released on Sunday by the Indian Embassy, said they were still awaiting official information about him.

“The lack of clear information and the wait is making the grief unbearable. We have come to know that my brother is one of the victims in the Vietnam boat tragedy, but there is no official confirmation. We appeal to the Andhra Pradesh government to help us,” said Mudium Ramesh, Sreedhar’s brother.

“He had gone on July 8 for a business-cum-pleasure trip to Vietnam… He called us every day, but since Saturday, there has been silence,” Ramesh said.

The family of Nallapeta Ravi Teja, 41, from Hindupuram in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, also said there was a lack of information. Ravi Teja was also among the list of the deceased.

His brother, Adiseshaiah, said the family was still hoping that he will turn up alive. “There is no clarity; no information. We are unable to believe that he is no more. The state government should help us,” the brother said.

From Machilipatnam’s Gelli family, couple Gelli Kishore and Jaya Lakshmi were both on the boat. While both were initially believed to be among the deceased, Kishore’s brother G Mahesh Goud said he had been resuscitated and is now recovering in a hospital.

State minister Kollu Ravindra said Kishore would remain in hospital for now. “During his transfer from Phu Quoc Government Hospital, Kishore developed critical complications, necessitating the postponement of his travel back home. He remains unconscious in the ICU on advanced life support. MRI investigations revealed a small blood clot in the brain, followed by a mild cardiac episode. He has undergone an emergency cardiac procedure, and subject to stabilisation, will be airlifted to Ho Chi Minh City for advanced medical care,” the minister said.

According to the embassy, 15 survivors of the mishap have been discharged from hospital, and were on their way to India, while two remain in hospital.

Tragic trip

Several people on the boat were employees and distributors of Lava Mobiles and were there as part of an annual meeting. The group numbered around 100 and took three boats, including the one that capsized.

Visuals from the site of the incident showed the boat that had gone belly up as rescuers looked for survivors in choppy waters. Local media reports said that nearby tourist boats rushed to assist before border guards, the navy, the coast guard and other forces joined the search-and-rescue operation.

Twenty-one people survived the accident, including 17 Indians and four crew members. The cause of the accident wasn’t immediately clear, and an investigation was underway.

Probe underway

Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hun has ordered a probe into the speedboat tragedy, Vietnamese media outlet Tuoi Tre News reported.

He asked authorities to identify shortcomings, determine both the direct and indirect causes of the accident, and implement corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, said the report, citing an official dispatch.

The Vietnamese PM also directed authorities to take strict legal action against anyone found to have violated regulations that may have caused the accident, and directed authorities to assist victims and their families, the report said.