At least 15 Indian tourists were killed after a tourist boat carrying 36 people overturned near Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday. Search and rescue operations remain underway, while the Indian Embassy has established emergency control rooms to assist affected families and coordinate with local authorities.

Boat overturned amid rough weather

According to local media reports, the vessel was carrying 36 people, including 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant. The boat reportedly capsized shortly after departing Hon May Rut Ngoai Island for An Thoi Port at around 1 pm local time (11:30 am IST).

The accident is believed to have occurred due to rough seas and strong winds, causing everyone on board to fall into the water.

Authorities rescued 21 people and shifted them to hospitals for treatment. Two of the rescued passengers are reported to be in critical condition.

Indian Embassy sets up emergency assistance

The Indian Embassy in Vietnam said it is closely monitoring the situation and has activated emergency control rooms to help affected Indian nationals and their families.

In a statement on X, the Embassy said it was gathering details of the incident while local authorities continued search and rescue efforts.

The Indian Ambassador, along with Embassy officials, is travelling to Phu Quoc Island to oversee consular assistance, coordinate with Vietnamese authorities and support the affected Indian citizens.

Lava Mobiles confirms team members involved

Lava Mobiles said some of its employees and channel partners were among those involved in the accident.

The company stated that it is in constant contact with the Embassy of India in Vietnam and local authorities to obtain updates about the safety and well-being of its personnel. It added that teams in both India and Vietnam are providing all possible assistance to affected families.

Sources said around 110 Lava distributors and employees from South India were on a visit together.

PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi express condolences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. He also wished a speedy recovery to the injured survivors and said Indian diplomatic missions were extending all possible assistance while remaining in close contact with Vietnamese authorities.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also conveyed his condolences and urged the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to support ongoing rescue operations and provide necessary assistance to affected families.

Andhra Pradesh government seeks details

Andhra Pradesh Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh spoke with senior officials after reports indicated that tourists from the state may have been among those affected.

He directed officials to coordinate with the Central Government and ensure all possible support is provided to the victims and their families.

Emergency control room numbers

To assist affected Indian nationals, the Indian mission has opened control rooms at the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City and the Embassy in Hanoi.

The Ho Chi Minh City control room can be contacted at +84 36 281 7930, +84 91 552 37 14 and +84 33 452 0414.

The Hanoi control room is available at +84 91 308 9165.

The Embassy said both control rooms remain operational for information, assistance and support related to the incident.

The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen above 4,000, according to the country’s government, while thousands of people remain missing.

Parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez said in a Telegram post that at least 4,118 people have died and 16,740 others have been injured in the back-to-back earthquakes. The powerful tremors caused widespread destruction across the coastal state of La Guaira, reducing residential buildings and entire neighbourhoods to rubble.

Twin earthquakes caused widespread devastation

The disaster began with a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, followed just 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude quake. Authorities described the second earthquake as the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The twin shocks caused severe structural damage, with several high-rise apartment buildings collapsing completely. Thousands of people are still listed as missing as families continue searching through the debris for their loved ones.

Although official rescue teams have concluded search operations for survivors, many relatives remain at the disaster sites in the hope of recovering the bodies of missing family members for proper burial.

Recovery efforts face major challenges

The humanitarian response continues to face significant obstacles as Venezuela works to recover from one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters. The scale of rebuilding is expected to be enormous, particularly as the nation continues to grapple with long-standing economic difficulties that have affected public services.

Adding to public concern, a 3.0-magnitude tremor struck central Caracas on Friday, briefly triggering panic and prompting evacuations from several buildings.

The United Nations has appealed for nearly $300 million in emergency funding to support earthquake relief operations.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez has urged the release of frozen national assets held overseas to assist with reconstruction efforts. She also said she had requested King Charles III to release around 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold frozen under UK sanctions to help finance the country’s recovery.

The Assam government has announced an extensive investment plan worth Rs 77,353 crore to expand the state’s power infrastructure under the 2026-27 Budget. The proposals cover electricity generation, renewable energy, storage facilities and transmission networks as the government looks to improve energy availability and support future demand.

Presenting the Budget on Friday, Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said the state aims to significantly increase its power generation capacity through a combination of thermal, hydroelectric and solar projects while strengthening the electricity transmission system.

Among the largest proposals is an investment of Rs 40,000 crore for a 3,200 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power plant, expected to become one of Assam’s biggest power generation facilities. Another Rs 27,100 crore has been earmarked for pumped storage projects with a combined capacity of 4,900 MW.

Renewable energy projects receive boost

The Budget also places emphasis on renewable energy development. It includes plans for 137 MW of small hydropower generation, 75 MW of solar power capacity and a 25 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Kamrup district.

In addition, the 120 MW Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Project has reached the trial commissioning stage.

The government has also proposed setting up 11 small hydropower projects across Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Udalguri, Biswanath and Sivasagar districts. New solar power installations are also planned in Sonitpur and Namrup to further expand the state’s clean energy capacity.

Transmission network to be modernised

Apart from increasing power generation, the government has proposed major investments to strengthen electricity transmission infrastructure.

Around Rs 4,600 crore has been allocated for new 400 kV transmission corridors and grid substations aimed at improving power supply across Assam.

Over the next five years, the state plans to add nearly 15,000 circuit kilometres of transmission and distribution lines, establish 120 substations and install around 20,000 High Voltage Distribution Systems (HVDS). The government also aims to reduce transmission and distribution losses from 13.4 per cent to 8 per cent.

Private sector projects to support capacity expansion

The Budget announcement comes alongside major private sector investments in Assam’s power sector. Projects awarded to the Adani Group, including a 3,200 MW thermal power plant and 2,700 MW of pumped storage capacity, are expected to contribute significantly to the state’s future electricity generation capacity.