Vietnam boat tragedy survivors point to lack of emergency medical response

Survivors of the tourist boat tragedy off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island have alleged that inadequate emergency medical facilities and delayed professional assistance worsened the disaster, claiming several lives could have been saved with timely treatment.

Twenty Indian tourists from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who survived the accident returned to Hyderabad late on Sunday after being repatriated from Vietnam.

The speedboat, carrying 32 Indian tourists along with three crew members and an attendant, capsized near Hon May Rut Ngoai on Saturday while returning to An Thoi Port. Fifteen Indian tourists were killed and 21 others rescued, while two survivors remain in critical condition.

Govinda, an employee of the company that had organised the trip and a resident of Rajahmundry, said survivors were forced to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) themselves as no trained medical personnel were immediately available.

"There was no proper medical team on the island. We did whatever we could with the little knowledge we had. We performed CPR and tried to keep people alive, but many slipped away before our eyes," he said.

According to him, passengers rescued from the sea received little immediate medical attention despite desperate attempts by fellow tourists, the boat crew and jet ski operators to save them.

He said requests for an air ambulance could not be met, while ambulance boats arrived only after a delay, forcing critically injured passengers to wait before being shifted for treatment.

Govinda, who was travelling in a second boat about 400 metres away, said the vessel carrying the victims suddenly tilted and overturned after slowing down in rough waters.

He said survivors later recounted that panic broke out after strong waves forced the captain to reduce speed. As passengers rushed to one side of the boat, it became unstable and capsized within moments.

"We managed to save one or two people, but many were in a critical condition. If qualified medical personnel had been there, at least five or six more lives might have been saved," he said.

Among the 29 tourists from Andhra Pradesh on the trip, 26 survived while three lost their lives.

Govinda said the tragedy was especially painful as some of the victims were close friends and long-time acquaintances.

Another survivor, Harihar Srinivas from West Godavari district, escaped the accident because he was waiting to board another boat when the vessel overturned barely 100 metres after leaving the island.

"It all happened within moments. We could only watch in horror as the boat suddenly overturned," he said.

Srinivas said all passengers had been provided with life jackets and rescue teams responded quickly after the accident. However, he echoed concerns over the lack of emergency medical preparedness at the tourist destination.

"The rescue operation was quick, but there should have been better planning to handle medical emergencies. Timely medical intervention could have made a difference," he said.

He added that the company-organised tour included participants from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, who had travelled to Vietnam on 8 July.

According to Srinivas, the bodies of the three victims from Andhra Pradesh are being repatriated, while another critically injured tourist has been shifted to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and is responding to treatment.

The cause of the accident is under investigation by Vietnamese authorities.

With PTI inputs