"Unimaginable Tragedy": Lava Mobiles As Indian Associates Killed In Vietnam

What began as a fun foreign trip sponsored by the mobile phone company Lava Mobiles for its associates in India ended in a tragedy as 15 people died after a boat overturned near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday.

The victims include 10 persons from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi said. 14 of them were channel partners of Lava Mobile, the company confirmed, while one was a team member.

"We at Lava are deeply saddened to confirm that 14 of our channel partners and one member of our Lava team have tragically lost their lives in a boat accident earlier today near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. Our hearts and prayers are with their families and loved ones. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we stand with them during this time of profound grief," the company said in an X post.

"We are in close and continuous contact with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the local authorities and are doing everything possible to facilitate the earliest possible repatriation of the mortal remains. Our immediate priority is to support every affected family, and our teams in both India and Vietnam remain by their side, extending every possible assistance," Lava Mobiles added. 

One of the employees, Nirmal Kumar, told NDTV that the vessel was a closed speedboat carrying 32 passengers and that it overturned within three minutes of setting off.

"We were travelling in the speedboat; it's a closed boat, and around 36 people were inside it. Within three minutes of starting, it turned upside down. A strong storm hit the boat, and it flipped over," he said.

According to him, passengers near the front managed to escape through a window, while those towards the back were not as fortunate. "About 20 of us came out of the boat by jumping through the window at the front. The 15 people at the back got stuck inside the boat, and they died," he said.

Kumar confirmed the group was travelling together as part of a trip organised by Lava Mobiles. Sources said 110 Lava distributors and employees from South India were on the visit.