Police in An Giang Province have detained the captain of the tourist speedboat that capsized off Phu Quoc, killing 15 Indian tourists, as part of a criminal investigation into the fatal accident.
On July 12, the provincial police announced that they had opened a criminal case and placed Nguyen Hong Hai, 57, of Son Kien Commune, in criminal detention for alleged violations of regulations related to the speedboat disaster.
Hai was the vessel's captain and was operating the speedboat at the time of the accident. Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific allegations against him.
Investigators work with crew members linked to the speedboat sinking in Phu Quoc (Photo: Hoang Duat).
The accident occurred at about 1 pm on July 11, when the Ocean Pearl Island speedboat, registration number AG-26751, departed Hon May Rut Ngoai Island for An Thoi International Port.
The vessel was carrying 32 Indian tourists travelling as part of an Ocean Pearl tour programme, along with three crew members and one Vietnamese tour guide.
According to investigators, the speedboat capsized approximately 400m after leaving the island.
Rescue teams recovered the passengers and transported 21 survivors to medical facilities in the area. Authorities later confirmed that 15 people had died.
Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung ordered a full investigation to determine the cause of the accident and called for strict legal action against any organisations or individuals found to have violated safety regulations.
The Prime Minister also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work closely with the Embassy of India in Vietnam to provide consular assistance, protect the interests of Indian citizens and address issues arising from the incident.
The Investigation Police Agency of An Giang Provincial Police said the investigation is continuing and has been expanded.
