Vietnam boat tragedy: Bodies of 3 Telugu tourists reach Hyderabad
Synopsis
Fifteen Indians died when a tourist boat capsized near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, on 11 July — three of them from Andhra Pradesh. Their remains reached Hyderabad on 14 July after multi-agency repatriation, even as one survivor, Gelli Kishore, remains hospitalised in Vietnam. The corporate-organised leisure trip that turned fatal is now drawing scrutiny over overseas travel safety.
Key Takeaways
Three Telugu tourists — Mudiam Sreedhar (Kadapa), Gelli Jayalakshmi (Machilipatnam), and Ravi Teja (Hindupur) — died in the Phu Quoc Island boat accident on 11 July .
Their mortal remains arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad , on 14 July via an IndiGo flight from Mumbai.
15 Indians in total died when the boat carrying 32 passengers met with an accident.
AP Minister Kondapalli Srinivas received the bodies and arranged free ambulances to transport them to the victims' native villages.
Gelli Kishore , husband of one of the deceased, remains hospitalised in Vietnam with injuries.
The trip was a corporate-organised leisure outing by a mobile phone company for its distributor families.
The mortal remains of three Telugu tourists from Andhra Pradesh who perished in a boat tragedy near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on Tuesday, 14 July, completing a sombre journey home that involved multi-agency coordination across two countries.
Who the Victims Were
The three deceased have been identified as Mudiam Sreedhar of Kadapa, Gelli Jayalakshmi of Machilipatnam, and Ravi Teja of Hindupur. They were among 15 Indians who lost their lives when a tourist boat carrying 32 passengers capsized near Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, 11 July. The leisure trip had been organised by a mobile phone company for the families of its cell phone distributors from India.
How the Bodies Were Repatriated
The mortal remains first arrived at the Mumbai International Air Cargo Terminal at 9:35 pm on Monday, 13 July. All medical, customs, immigration, and cargo clearance formalities were completed through inter-agency coordination before the remains were formally handed over to the families. They were subsequently transported to Hyderabad aboard an IndiGo flight on Tuesday morning.
According to the Andhra Pradesh government, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Embassy of India in Vietnam, and Andhra Pradesh Bhavan collectively coordinated the repatriation logistics.
What the Government Did
Andhra Pradesh Minister Kondapalli Srinivas personally received the bodies at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and consoled grieving family members. He oversaw arrangements to dispatch the mortal remains to the victims' respective hometowns. The state government also arranged free ambulances to transport the remains from Hyderabad to the native villages of each victim.
One Survivor Still Receiving Treatment
Gelli Kishore, husband of the deceased Gelli Jayalakshmi, sustained injuries in the accident and continues to receive treatment at a hospital in Vietnam. All other Telugu tourists affected by the tragedy had safely returned to their destinations by Sunday night, 12 July.
The Broader Tragedy
The boat accident claimed 15 Indian lives in total — a significant portion of the 32 passengers aboard the ill-fated vessel. The group was on a corporate leisure trip when the boat met with the accident near Phu Quoc Island. This incident has raised questions about safety standards on tourist watercraft in popular South-East Asian destinations, and is likely to prompt calls for stricter vetting of overseas travel packages organised by corporate entities.
Point of View
Yet the focus so far has been on repatriation logistics rather than accountability — who organised the trip, which operator ran the boat, and whether safety standards were met. India has no formal framework requiring companies to vet the safety records of overseas tour operators before booking group trips. This incident should prompt the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs to jointly issue mandatory due-diligence guidelines for corporate travel packages abroad.
NationPress
14 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Vietnam boat accident involving Indian tourists?
A tourist boat carrying 32 passengers capsized near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, on 11 July, killing 15 Indians. The group was on a leisure trip organised by a mobile phone company for the families of its distributors from India.
Who were the three Telugu tourists killed in the Vietnam boat tragedy?
The three victims from Andhra Pradesh were Mudiam Sreedhar from Kadapa, Gelli Jayalakshmi from Machilipatnam, and Ravi Teja from Hindupur. Their mortal remains were repatriated to Hyderabad on 14 July.
How were the bodies of the Telugu tourists brought back to India?
The remains arrived at Mumbai's international air cargo terminal at 9:35 pm on 13 July, after coordination between the Embassy of India in Vietnam, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and Andhra Pradesh Bhavan. They were then flown to Hyderabad on an IndiGo flight on 14 July morning.
Is anyone from the group still in Vietnam?
Yes. Gelli Kishore, the husband of deceased Gelli Jayalakshmi, sustained injuries in the accident and continues to receive treatment at a hospital in Vietnam. All other Telugu tourists affected by the tragedy had returned safely by Sunday night, 12 July.
What support did the Andhra Pradesh government provide to the victims' families?
AP Minister Kondapalli Srinivas personally received the bodies at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, consoled the bereaved families, and oversaw arrangements for transporting the remains to the victims' native villages. The state government also provided free ambulances for the journey from Hyderabad to the hometowns.
