Hon May Rut Ngoai is located about 10 kilometers (six miles) south of Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island.

Nguyen Tien Hai, a senior communist official in the area, said authorities were still working to confirm the exact number of dead and survivors.

VnExpress quotes him as saying that the speedboat may have capsized due to strong winds and high waves.

“The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims to land and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive,” Hai said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely saddened to learn the tragic news of a boat accident involving Indian citizens” in Vietnam.

“My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured survivors,” he wrote in a post on X.

The Indian embassy in Vietnam called the incident “tragic” and released the full list of 32 Indian nationals who were on board the capsized ship.

The embassy also set up hotlines to “provide information and assistance to affected families.”