A PACKED tourist boat has capsized while returning from a day trip in Vietnam leaving at least 15 dead.

The vessel had been carrying 32 holidaymakers from India and four crew members when it suddenly flipped and threw everyone overboard.

Boats swarmed to help rescue passengers from the capsized vessel

Devastated onlookers help the victims of the boating tragedy

The tourists had been on an island-hopping day trip from Hon May Rut Ngoai when their speedboat overturned 1,310ft from Phu Quoc.

Nearby tourist boats raced to the scene after spotting the capsized vessel at around around 1pm on Saturday.

Crew members desperately pulled passengers from the water.

One boat owner – who arrived around five minutes after the boat capsized – said: “Only a few people were brought out conscious.”

He added that the water had been choppy at the time and that the high number of people trapped inside the boat made rescue efforts difficult.

Border guards and navy eventually saved 21 people but 15 people – two women and 13 men – were confirmed dead.

All of the 15 bodies were recovered and the injured have been rushed to hospital.

In a post on X the Indian Embassy in Vietnam described the incident as “tragic”.

Ambulances at the scene of the tragedy in Vietnam

The tourists had been travelling from Phu Quoc island in south Vietnam when tragedy struck

They added: “Exact details of the incident ​are being ascertained as search and ​rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing.”

The cause of the capsizing is not yet clear and investigators have launched a probe into the fatal incident.

The Indian Embassy have launched two control rooms to assist family and loved ones affected by the deadly accident.

Officials have reportedly confirmed that five tourists from Andhra Pradesh and 17 from Tamil Nadu were among those on board.

Two are safe and the rest have been hospitalised.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the passengers were taking part in an annual meeting of a private mobile phone company.

He added that officials from the Indian Embassy were on the scene.

The speedboat was hopping between two islands famed for their white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, attracting millions of visitors a year.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16673859/15-killed-vietnam-boat-capsizes/