A boat capsizes in southern Vietnam and kills 15 tourists not far from shore

A boat returning from an island trip in southern Vietnam capsized on Saturday, killing 15 Indian tourists less than half a kilometer (0.30 mile) from shore, as passengers shouted for help, officials and a witness said.

HANOI, Vietnam — A boat returning from an island trip in southern Vietnam capsized on Saturday, killing 15 Indian tourists less than half a kilometer (0.30 mile) from shore, as passengers shouted for help, officials and a witness said.

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The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members when it overturned Saturday afternoon shortly after leaving Hon May Rut Ngoai Island, which is near Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, authorities were quoted as saying.

“The boat had not even gone half a kilometer when it just tipped over,” Ashish Kumar, an Indian who witnessed the accident, told The Associated Press over the phone. “We screamed, ‘Help! Help!”’