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Andhra Pradesh Minister Kondapalli Srinivas on Saturday expressed deep grief over a tragic boat accident in Vietnam involving Indian tourists, noting that approximately 15 to 16 Indians are feared to have lost their lives in the incident, including three confirmed dead from the state and one currently admitted in the hospital.
Speaking about the tragedy, the Minister stated that a large group of Indians was visiting Vietnam. "A very sad incident happened in Vietnam. A lot of people from India traveled on a tourism trip to Vietnam, sponsored by one of the mobile trading companies. They happened to go to an island where, due to bad weather and a subsequent mechanical issue in the boat, an accident occurred," Srinivas said. "Nearly 250 people were in the boat, out of which a few people drowned. It is very sad that some of them died. We have lost close to 15 to 16 people from the country. From Andhra Pradesh, we have lost three persons and one person is currently in the ICU. Close to 33 people were travelling from our state," he said. Minister Srinivas highlighted that the state government moved swiftly following the news of the accident. "Nara Lokesh Garu immediately responded and spoke to the Minister of External Affairs. Following this, communications were established with the Embassy in India and the Vietnamese government," Srinivas said. The Minister praised the prompt response from the Vietnamese authorities in conducting rescue operations. "The government responded very spontaneously and sent rescue teams to the spot. They made sure that the Indian community members involved in the incident were safeguarded and provided with proper care. Sadly, we lost some lives, but the government is doing its best to work with the Vietnam government and take all necessary steps to bring the victims and survivors back to India," the Minister concluded. At least 15 people, including Indian tourists, were killed after a speedboat carrying 36 people capsized near Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, according to Vietnamese newspaper VN Express. (ANI)
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