The dead bodies of the 15 Indian tourists who died in the tragic speedboat accident near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island are to arrive in Mumbai on Monday evening in the final phase of an emotional repatriation process directed by Indian and Vietnamese authorities.
According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, the remains are being flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, on Vietnam Airlines flight VN979 at 6:00 p.m. local time and arrive at Mumbai at 9:35 p.m. IST.
The embassy has informed the respective state governments and asked them to work with the families of the deceased to transport the bodies to their hometowns. It also said that the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City would continue to provide all necessary assistance to the bereaved families.
The tragic accident occurred Saturday morning when a speedboat operated by Ocean Pear Island Company capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai islet when returning to An Thoi Port after the island-hopping trip. The ship was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members.
According to eyewitnesses, the speedboat overturned as soon as it left the island, and everyone on board fell into the water. Some passengers were trapped in the overturned vessel, and the rescue was a very difficult job.
Emergency response teams, including fishing boats, Vietnamese border guards, navy personnel, and the coastguard, rushed to the accident site quickly. Rescue teams saved 21 people, and the bodies of all 15 victims were later recovered from the water.
वियतनाम के सबसे बड़े द्वीप फु क्वोक (Phu Quoc) के पास नाव पलटने से कम से कम 15 भारतीय पर्यटकों की मौत हो गई।#VietnamBoatAccident #Vietnam #IndianTourists pic.twitter.com/nuriCSiBOR
— Rameshwar Pandey (@Rameshwar8285) July 12, 2026
Preliminary reports indicate that many of the victims belonged to Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Indian diplomatic officials are supporting families during the repatriation process.
Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences for the tragedy and promised that the Government of India and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam would support the affected families.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has also ordered an investigation into the incident. Regional governments are also expected to review maritime safety measures, boat operations, and emergency response plans in the region in order to prevent such accidents in the future.
Lying in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc has become one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations for Indian tourists in recent years. Greater direct flight connections and Vietnam’s simplified e-visa policy have also led to an exponential surge in Indian tourists. The island welcomed 5.7 million tourists in the first half of this year, the tourism authorities say, and international tourists have been growing in popularity with it.
So far, however, the tragedy has raised new concerns about water transport safety at major tourist destinations and the need to tighten maritime safety regulations.
