A company-sponsored incentive trip organised by Lava Mobiles ended in tragedy on Saturday after a tourist boat carrying Indian travellers capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, leaving 15 Indians dead.
The victims included 14 Lava Mobiles channel partners and one company employee, the smartphone maker confirmed in a statement. The group had travelled to Vietnam as part of a reward programme for distributors, sellers and business associates from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, there were 36 people on board the vessel, including 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members. While 21 people were rescued, 15 Indian tourists lost their lives in the incident.
Lava Mobiles said it was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and stated that its immediate priority was supporting the affected families. The company added that it is coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and local authorities to facilitate the earliest possible repatriation of the victims’ mortal remains.
Among those who died was 54-year-old Shaik Abdullah Abdul Majeed from Tiruchirappalli, a Lava Mobiles channel partner.
According to his family, Abdullah had spoken to his wife, son and infant granddaughter over a video call shortly before boarding the boat. During the conversation, he told them he was heading to an island with limited mobile connectivity and promised to call again after returning.
Family members said that conversation became his last.
Survivors described how the boat overturned within moments after leaving the island.
Nirmal Kumar, a survivor from Tamil Nadu’s Palani, said the speedboat capsized within seconds, reportedly due to high waves and possible overloading. He said most of the passengers were from Tamil Nadu and that two survivors remained in critical condition.
Another survivor, Ashish Kumar, a Lava distributor from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur, said the tourists had been split into groups for island-hopping excursions. The boat carrying 32 Indian tourists had travelled only a few hundred metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island before overturning at around 1.30 pm local time. “We were taking pictures, and before we could react, the boat tipped over. We were all screaming for help,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and several chief ministers expressed grief over the incident.
The governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala said they are coordinating with the Centre and Indian authorities in Vietnam to bring back the bodies of the victims and provide assistance to their families.
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping activities. Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the boat capsize.