Vietnam Speedboat Capsizes Near Phu Quoc, Killing 15 of 36 Onboard

Q: With warnings of 'dangerously rough seas,' why did the Vietnam tour boat sail, leading to 15 deaths?

It is not yet known why the boat was allowed to sail despite rough-sea warnings; authorities have only said the vessel capsized in heavy winds and high waves, and the exact cause is still under investigation. What is clear is that the weather risk had been flagged. Regional meteorological agencies had warned in the days before the accident of “dangerously rough seas” in the Gulf of Thailand under a strong southwest monsoon, with waves of 2 to 3 metres and higher in stormy areas. Local officials in the Phu Quoc area also said conditions were rough when the speedboat overturned about 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai island. The boat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members on a popular island-hopping route near Phu Quoc. It capsized close to shore, suggesting the danger came less from distance and more from sea state, wind and wave impact on a small, fast tourist craft. Nearby boats rescued 21 people, many trapped inside the overturned vessel, while 15 died. The unresolved issue is whether the operator misjudged the weather, whether local restrictions were absent or not enforced, and whether safety protocols were followed, including go/no-go decisions, passenger briefing, life-jacket use, vessel loading and crew preparedness. None of that has been established publicly yet. So the short answer is that the boat sailed even though rough conditions were present, but the reason it was permitted to do so has not been explained by officials so far.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11

15 Indian tourists died after a speedboat carrying 36 people overturned near Phu Quoc around 1 p.m. Saturday, leaving 21 survivors, Vietnamese officials and the Indian Embassy said.
Rough seas and strong winds flipped the boat about 400 meters into its trip from a nearby island to An Thoi port at Phu Quoc’s southern tip.
The vessel, operated by Ocean Pearl Island, carried 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and a guide; local authorities said they would investigate the accident.
India’s embassy opened control rooms in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for families, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences.
Phu Quoc has become a fast-growing draw for Indian travelers: Vietnam received about 750,000 Indian visitors in 2025, and first-quarter 2026 arrivals more than doubled year on year.