Mumbai | A flight carrying the bodies of 15 Indian nationals killed in a boat tragedy in Vietnam last week has landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.
The Vietnam Airlines flight VN 979 from Ho Chi Minh City landed at 9.19 pm on Monday, sources said.
Of the 15 victims, 10 were from Tamil Nadu, three were from Andhra Pradesh, and two were from Kerala. Two of the deceased were women.
The bodies will be flown to Coimbatore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Trivandrum, the sources said.
A speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai off Phu Quoc Island on Friday, killing 15 Indian tourists.
Sixteen others were rescued and have returned to India after receiving medical treatment, while one survivor remains in critical condition at a hospital in Phu Quoc.
The tourists were reportedly returning from an island visit when the speedboat capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai island.
New Delhi | Domestic mobile phone company Lava International on Monday announced ex gratia financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the victims who lost their lives in the Vietnam boat tragedy.
As many as 14 associates and a staff member of Lava lost their lives after their boat capsized off Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday.
"As a gesture of solidarity with the families in this difficult time, Lava will provide ex gratia financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the family of each person who lost their life," Lava said in a statement.
The company said that the disbursement will be coordinated directly with the affected families following necessary verification and documentation. "This assistance is extended voluntarily, on humanitarian grounds. Those who lost their lives were valued members of the wider Lava community. We stand with their families in this time of profound grief and are extending our support through this difficult period," the statement said.
There were 36 people on board, including 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members, of which 21 were rescued.
Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, is a major tourist destination, known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and island-hopping excursions.
A survivor, Nirmal Kumar from Palani, had told PTI Videos over the phone that the speedboat they travelled on overturned within seconds, reportedly due to high waves and possible overloading.
Most of the tourists on board the boat were from Tamil Nadu, and two were in a hospital in a critical condition.
In a late-night statement on Sunday, Lava said that 86 of its partners and employees who were part of the group in Vietnam have landed back safely in India.
"The remaining employees and channel partners have stayed back to complete the necessary formalities for the repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives. One of our channel partners is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Vietnam," the company said.
The homegrown mobile firm said that it is in close coordination with the Embassy of India in Vietnam, the Vietnamese authorities and the Consulate of India in Ho Chi Minh City.
