Tragedy at sea: Vietnam boat capsize survivors from Tamil Nadu recount harrowing moments

Survivors of the boat disaster in Vietnam from Tamil Nadu say that the disaster was caused by rough seas and passengers sliding sideways when the boat turned.

The boat, which set off from Vietnam’s Hòn Mây Rút Ngoài island with 32 Indian passengers and four crew, soon overturned and capsized. In this accident, 15 people lost their lives, including 10 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Andhra Pradesh and 2 from Kerala. The bodies of the dead are scheduled to arrive in India on Monday.

S. Nirmalkumar from Palani is also one of the survivors who traveled in this boat. he described Hindu What happened when the boat capsized? “It was around 12 noon. Lunch had been arranged on a nearby island. Everyone on the boat was wearing life jackets.”

S.Nirmalkumar. | Photo Credit: Special editing

“As the sea was rough, the boat had been rocking since it set off. Even though there were only 36 people on board, it felt like it was overloaded. At one point, when the operator made a sharp turn, the boat leaned to one side. As a result, the weight shifted completely to that side and lost its balance. After that, the boat turned upside down. All this happened 3 minutes after takeoff. At that time, the boat was only 300 meters away from the shore.”

Nirmalkumar said, “As soon as the boat started to overturn, the operator and the guide jumped into the water. I saw this while sitting at the front of the boat, realized that something was wrong and jumped into the sea. Many people sitting in the front did the same. However, those sitting in the back could not get out. They were trapped inside when the boat turned upside down.”

Mr. Nirmalkumar also said that he and his close friend Murugaprabhu had gone on this journey together, but since his friend was sitting at the back of the boat, he could not escape when the boat capsized.

A. Ramasubbu. | Photo Credit: Special editing

A. Ramasubbu, 51, who survived the same accident, shared additional details, stating that more lives could have been saved if additional medical assistance had been available at the scene of the accident.

“When the speed boat turned, the people on one side fell to the other side. That’s why the weight on one side increased and the boat started to capsize. When I saw the people in front jumping, I jumped into the water too. Some of those rescued from under the boat were still alive when they were rescued. However, there were not enough doctors on the shore, there were only one or two. Moreover, there were only one or two oxygen cylinders. Those in critical condition had passed away when they were taken to the hospital,” he said.