15 feared dead after boat carrying Indian tourists capsizes near Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island

At least 15 people are feared dead after a speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized near Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam on Saturday, according to local media reports.

According to VN Express International, the speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members from Hon May Rut to An Thoi Port when it overturned around 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, throwing all those on board into the sea.

The report, citing authorities in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said nearby tourist boats immediately launched rescue efforts before personnel from the border guard, navy, coast guard and other emergency agencies joined the large-scale search-and-rescue operation.

Local media reported that 15 people were killed in the accident. However, Indian authorities have not yet officially confirmed the fatalities or the identities of the victims.

The Indian Embassy in Hanoi described the incident as tragic and said search and rescue operations were continuing.

"In a tragic incident, a boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam," the embassy said in a post on X.

The embassy said it has established control rooms at the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City to assist affected families and coordinate with Vietnamese authorities.

Officials said further details regarding casualties and survivors are awaited as rescue teams continue operations at the site.