A final video call, a promise to call back: Vietnam tragedy shatters 15 families

A few hours before tragedy struck off Vietnam’s picturesque Phu Quoc Island, 54-year-old Shaik Abdullah Abdul Majeed from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli spoke to his wife, discussed business with his son, and smiled at his infant granddaughter during a video call. Before ending the conversation, he told his family he was heading to an island where mobile connectivity would be unavailable and promised to call back later.

That call never came.

Abdullah was among the 15 Indian tourists killed when a speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized near Phu Quoc Island on Saturday during a company-sponsored trip organised for business associates of mobile phone maker Lava .

LAST WORDS BEFORE DISASTER STRUCK

What was meant to be a reward trip to one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations turned into a devastating disaster that has left families across southern India grieving. The victims included 10 people from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala. Twenty-one people were rescued.

Recalling Abdullah’s final hours, a relative told PTI that he rarely travelled and had initially considered sending his son on the trip instead.

“He does not usually go on tours. He thought of sending his son, but eventually decided to go himself. None of us expected this,” the relative said.

Abdullah had left for Vietnam on July 9 and was scheduled to return to India on July 13. On Saturday morning, he spoke to his son about work and later informed his wife that the group was being taken to another island where phone signals would be unavailable.

“He told her he would call after returning and asked her not to try reaching him in the meantime. He saw his baby granddaughter on a video call. That turned out to be his last conversation with the family,” the relative said.

Mohammed Ismail, Abdullah’s cousin, told PTI that the family first learnt about the tragedy from others on the trip.

“We request the state and central governments to expedite the process of bringing the bodies to India. We pray for all the victims who have lost their lives,” he said.

According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, the boat was carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members. The group was part of a Lava-sponsored excursion involving sellers, distributors and company employees from southern India.

SECONDS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Ashish Kumar, a 48-year-old distributor from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur who witnessed the incident, told PTI that the tourists had been divided into batches and were being ferried between islands.

“The boat had gone barely 300 to 400 metres when it tipped over. We were taking pictures and it happened before we could react,” he said.

“The boat had hardly left the island. We were all screaming for help.”

The accident occurred around 1:30 pm local time after the boat departed Hon May Rut Ngoai island for another destination. Kumar said weather conditions were not particularly severe.

“There was some wind, but that is expected on an island,” he said.

A survivor, Nirmal Kumar from Tamil Nadu’s Palani, told PTI Videos that the speedboat overturned within seconds, reportedly due to high waves and possible overloading. Two survivors remained in critical condition in hospital.

Kumar said rescue teams arrived quickly and brought survivors and bodies back to shore but claimed medical assistance was not immediately available.

“The rescue teams got active and the bodies were brought back. However, there were no medical teams even to administer CPR. We are all in a state of shock,” he said.

The tragedy has also left entire families shattered. Kumar recounted that one distributor was travelling with his wife.

“His wife has died, while he is fighting for his life in a hospital,” he said.

In a statement quoted by PTI, Lava said it was “deeply saddened” by the accident and confirmed that 14 channel partners and one member of its team had lost their lives.

“Our hearts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. This is an unimaginable tragedy,” the company said, adding that it was working closely with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and local authorities to ensure the earliest repatriation of the mortal remains.

GRIEF ACROSS INDIA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and several chief ministers expressed grief over the incident. State governments in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala said they were coordinating with the Centre to bring the bodies home and provide support to bereaved families.

As authorities work to repatriate the victims, families across southern India are waiting for their loved ones to return—not from a holiday abroad as planned, but for a final farewell.

- Ends