Fifteen Indian tourists died after their speedboat capsized near southern Vietnam's Phu Quoc island. Authorities confirmed the incident on Saturday, stating the boat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members when it overturned. A total of 21 people were rescued and the injured have been hospitalized.

The cause of the accident is not yet known. Local media reported that the speedboat had left the popular Hon May Rut Ngoai island after noon on Saturday and was returning to the An Thoi International Port when the accident occurred – about 400 meters from the tourist location.

Social media photos appeared to show rescuers pulling victims out of the water and attempting to revive them. Witnesses told VN Express that nearby boats rushed to the scene and began pulling out passengers before Vietnamese border guards, navy, and coastguard arrived.

Many victims were trapped inside the vessel, making rescue difficult, VN Express reported. India's embassy in Hanoi said rescue operations by local Vietnamese authorities were continuing and that control rooms had been set up in the capital and Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate with victims' families.

Last July, tourist boat Wonder Sea capsized in Ha Long Bay during a thunderstorm, killing 39 people – one of Vietnam's deadliest sea accidents. Phu Quoc, located in the Gulf of Thailand, is among Vietnam's best-known beach destinations, drawing millions of tourists yearly to its white sand beaches and clear green waters.

Source: www.aljazeera.com