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.

Iran has issued a fresh warning to the United States, saying any breach of commitments will be met with a “reciprocal action”, days after US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire agreement with Tehran was “over”.

Speaking through state television, Iran’s foreign ministry said it would respond if Washington failed to honour its commitments. The ministry also dismissed Trump’s assertion that Tehran had requested the continuation of talks with the US.

According to the ministry, Iran did not seek negotiations with Washington but accepted a visit by Qatari mediators to facilitate discussions.

Iran says conflict will not end with surrender

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the country would not end the conflict by surrendering, stressing that Tehran remained prepared to defend itself if the US failed to honour the understanding reached between the two sides.

He said ending the conflict was important for countries around the world but maintained that Iran would continue to safeguard the rights of its people. Ghalibaf also claimed he had informed US Vice President JD Vance during negotiations that Iran had no trust in the United States.

He further remarked that those capable of negotiating with the US were those prepared for the possibility of war.

Ali Khomeini, grandson of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini, also commented on the negotiations, saying they should not be viewed as peace talks and reiterating Iran’s longstanding position against compromise with the US.

Fragile ceasefire amid renewed tensions

The latest statements come as tensions between Iran and the US remain high despite an agreement reached last month.

According to the information provided, both sides have exchanged fire in the Middle East since the deal was signed, leaving the ceasefire in a fragile state. The exchanges reportedly eased during the week-long funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, explosions were reported in Iran a day after the funeral, while the US denied any involvement.

Despite the renewed tensions, Trump has agreed to continue negotiations with Iran. Meanwhile, a delegation from Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator, arrived in Iran on Friday for further discussions, according to local media.