The lives of 15 out of 32 people were claimed on the 11th of July, 2026 (CBS News, 2026).
A viral video went out, showing that the victims were without lifejackets, but it was debunked in an article by Team Latestly (LatestLY, 2026). The article emphasised some facts to prove the video wrong, but first: a backstory.
On the afternoon of July 11th, 32 Indian tourists and 4 Vietnamese crew members embarked on the seas, travelling from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island towards An Thoi port. The victims were on a company trip organised by Indian company Lava International, a smartphone and consumer electronics manufacturer (CBS News, 2026; VnExpress International, 2026).
The trip was for their employees, distributors, and retail partners, with about 108 members on the trip. An eyewitness stated that the group had been split into three, so they could travel easily on the Island. The first boat departed while the other two waited at the dock when it capsized (MI News Network, 2026; The Standard, 2026).
Another boat Captain, Ha Van Loc, who was piloting another boat nearby, stated that the accident happened around 12:40 pm that day and he saw about a dozen people holding on to lifejackets while some were without and struggling in the water (The Standard, 2026). He helped in the best way he could, as some of the victims were trapped, and took a video to alert standby boats for help. A survivor, Ashish Kumar, said the boat had travelled about 300-400 metres from the Island before it overturned at 1:30 pm that day (MI News Network, 2026).
Tuoi Tre newspaper reported the assessments by the Vietnamese authorities, suggesting that the accident was an unavoidable incident caused by extreme weather conditions. Rescuing the victims proved impossible because rough seas with waves up to 10 feet high hampered the rescue. Jet skis were used mainly for rescue (CBS News, 2026).
LatestLY argues that although reports have indicated that some tourists were seen without lifejackets, after the capsizing, it was due to the chaotic nature of the accident and not the lack of safety equipment (LatestLY, 2026).
Reports noted that the Captain, Nguyen Hong Hai, who has been detained, instructed the passengers to wear the lifejackets before departure, but many had been carrying them rather than wearing them before the boat capsized (CBS News, 2026).
The circulating video has been debunked because eyewitness statements, like Van Loc’s testimonial, provided details to show that the boat in the video was not the one that capsized, and there were only two women onboard. The public has been urged to stop sharing unverified videos so they do not cause more distress to the victims' families (LatestLY, 2026).
The captain has been detained for alleged violations of waterway transport safety regulations. The weather was unfavourable for a sail, and officials examined why the boat was allowed to operate despite the monsoon weather warnings in the Gulf of Thailand. They also examined whether the boat was carrying more passengers than allowed, as well as whether the passengers were properly provided with lifejackets (CBS News, 2026; The Standard, 2026).
The victims' bodies were taken to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City after local authorities and the Indian diplomatic officials completed identification and repatriation. The victims’ families have been contacted for transporting the bodies back to their hometowns (MI News Network, 2026).
The Island in Vietnam is one of the country's most popular beach destinations, and India is one of its fastest-growing tourism markets (CBS News, 2026). Authorities have rolled out stricter and tighter regulations for waterway safety following the accident (VnExpress, 2026).
References:
- CBS News. (2026, July 13). Speedboat capsizes off Vietnam, killing 15 tourists; police detain captain. https://www.cbsnews.com
- VnExpress International. (2026, July 15). Vietnam's largest island Phu Quoc tightens waterway safety following tourist boat accident. https://e.vnexpress.net
- MI News Network. (2026, July 13). 15 Indians killed after speedboat capsizes off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island; captain arrested. Marine Insight. https://www.marineinsight.com
- The Standard. (2026, July 14). Captain arrested after Phu Quoc boat capsizing kills 15 Indian tourists. https://www.thestandard.com.hk
- LatestLY. (2026, July 12). Vietnam boat victims weren't wearing life jackets? Fact check debunks video going viral on social media. https://www.latestly.com