Kerala govt seeks details on two Keralites after Vietnam boat accident

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 11 (PTI) The Kerala government on Saturday began efforts to gather more information about two Keralites who were on a boat that met with an accident in Vietnam, the CMO said. “The chief minister has directed the NORKA CEO to contact the Vietnam Embassy to obtain more details about the boat accident in Vietnam in which two Keralites were among those affected,” the statement from the Chief Minister's Office said. NORKA is the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs, which takes care of the people from the state who are living in other parts of the country and abroad. The statement also said that the CMO was in communication with the Ministry of External Affairs in connection with the incident. The Kerala House Resident Commissioner in Delhi has also been tasked with coordination activities, it said. Fifteen Indian tourists were killed in the incident on Saturday, according to Vietnamese media reports. The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members when the accident occurred. It capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, an island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc, Vietnamese news portal VN Express International reported. PTI HMP ADB