Authorities have detained the captain of a tourist boat that capsized off the coast of Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, killing 15 people.
Nguyen Hong Hai, 57, was taken into custody Sunday as police opened a criminal investigation into alleged violations of waterway transport safety regulations, according to VNExpress.
Hai was piloting a speedboat carrying tourists from Hon May Rut Island to An Thoi Port when it overturned near Phu Quoc—Vietnam’s largest island and one of its most popular tourist destinations—at around 1 p.m. local time.
The captain reportedly had years of experience operating passenger boats. According to state media, rough seas and large waves were reported in the area at the time of the incident.
Before emergency crews arrived, nearby tourist boats rushed to help, but many passengers were trapped inside the vessel. Rescue teams later brought victims ashore and provided medical treatment to survivors, according to VNExpress.
“Only a few people were brought out conscious,” a boat owner who arrived at the scene within five minutes of the accident told the outlet.
Investigators immediately examined the scene, collected evidence and documents, and took statements from those involved.
The boat was carrying 36 people when it capsized, the majority of them Indian nationals, including all 15 of those killed.
In a statement, the Indian embassy in Vietnam described the incident as “tragic,” adding: “Exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing.”
Sixteen survivors have been discharged from the hospital and are preparing to return to India, while one survivor remains hospitalized in Phu Quoc receiving medical treatment, the Indian embassy said in a statement on Sunday.
The embassy added that arrangements are also being made to transport the victims’ bodies back to India.
Indian tourists have become an increasingly important market for Vietnam’s tourism industry. Vietnam welcomed nearly 750,000 Indian visitors in 2025, a sharp increase from previous years, with arrivals continuing to grow strongly in 2026.
Last July, a tourist boat carrying mostly Vietnamese families from Hanoi capsized in Ha Long Bay, another popular tourist destination in Vietnam, leaving 39 people dead.
