Boat Carrying 36 People, Including Tourists, Capsizes in Vietnam's Famous Resort Island of Phu Quoc; 15 Dead, 21 Rescued

[Hanoi, Vietnam = Reporter Vu Thuy Tien] A boat carrying 36 people, including 32 tourists, capsized in the waters off Phu Quoc, a popular resort island in southern Vietnam, after being hit by high waves. Fifteen people were killed and many others were injured. No Korean tourists were on board, and the 32 tourists involved were reported to be a group from India.
According to local media on the 11th, the canoe AG 26751, carrying 32 passengers and four crew members, overturned around 1 p.m. in waters near the Hon May Rut Ngoai area of Phu Quoc after being struck by sudden high waves.
All tourists and crew members on board fell into the sea, and some passengers were unable to escape and remained trapped inside the overturned canoe.
Immediately after receiving the report, authorities in Phu Quoc and local residents rushed to the scene and carried out search and rescue operations. Rescue officials are focusing all efforts on locating the remaining missing people and recovering the victims.
As of 5 p.m. that day, the death toll had been provisionally tallied at 15, while 21 people had been rescued. Local police said they are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
Video from the scene showed high waves and strong winds at the time of the accident, and authorities are provisionally attributing the incident to the rough sea conditions.
According to tips from local residents, many of the tourists involved were foreign visitors from India. Some of the victims were rescued unconscious and taken ashore. In addition, multiple bodies have been seen being recovered from a rocky area near the accident site.
[email protected] Reporter Vu Thuy Tien Reporter