Fifteen Indian tourists were killed on Saturday after a speedboat they were travelling in capsized off Vietnam’s Phú Quốc island, VN Express quoted the Vietnamese authorities as saying.

The boat was carrying 36 persons – 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and an attendant.

Twenty-one persons were rescued, according to the news outlet. Those who died included two women and 13 men.

The cause of the accident was being investigated.

The speedboat was travelling from Hon May Rut Island to An Thoi Port when it capsized about 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island at around 1 pm, VN Express quoted authorities as saying.

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Search and rescue operations were carried out by the An Thoi Border Guard Station along with the Navy and Coast Guard.

“Only a few people were brought out conscious,” a person involved in the rescue operation said. He added that several passengers were trapped inside the speedboat, making the rescue difficult.

The Indian embassy in Vietnam said it was monitoring the situation and had set up emergency control rooms in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to assist affected families.

“Exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing,” the embassy stated.

It also published a list of the 32 Indian tourists who were travelling on speedboat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of those who died and said that Indian officials were in contact with the Vietnamese authorities to provide assistance to the affected tourists.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he was deeply saddened by the accident and urged the Indian government to ensure that “every possible effort is made in the ongoing rescue operations”.

Vietnam’s largest island, Phú Quốc, has become one of the country's most popular tourist destinations in recent years.

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This is a developing story. It will be updated as new details are available.

Edited by Sneha.