“Only those near exits survived”: Vietnam boat tragedy eyewitness recounts horror

Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 14 (ANI): A Vietnam tourist boat capsize eyewitness, in which 15 Indian tourists lost their lives, on Tuesday recounted the sequence of events, saying that most of the people seated in the middle lost their lives because the glass enclosure prevented them from getting out.

Speaking to ANI, Pradeep Reddy, an eyewitness, said, “We had travelled to Vietnam as part of a gift from Lava Company for all the South Zone dealers. We enjoyed the trip for two days, but the tragedy happened on the third day while we were returning from the island. The boat team called everyone to board the boat. The boat had space for only 32 people. Sridhar was the last person to get on. When I tried to board, I was told the boat was full and asked to get down. The boat had doors at the front and the back, and only those who were near those exits managed to survive.”

Further describing the rescue efforts, Reddy said, “Most of the people seated in the middle lost their lives because the glass enclosure prevented them from getting out. It took nearly 25 minutes to rescue the passengers from the overturned boat. We tried our best, but Sridhar could not be saved. The Lava team supported us throughout the entire process, and because of their help, we were able to return home. The company also provided an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh.”

Mudiyam Sridhar, one of the victims of the Vietnam boat capsize, was among the passengers who lost their lives in the tragedy. Eyewitness Pradeep Reddy, while speaking to ANI, had recalled that Sridhar was the last person to board the boat before the boat overturned and that rescue efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

Sridhar had left for Vietnam on July 8 as part of a company-sponsored tour. According to his family, today was originally scheduled to be the day of his return home.

The tragedy occurred on July 11 when a tourist speedboat carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members, capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai Island off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island. (ANI)