A couple from Kerala's Kollam was killed after a tourist boat carrying Indian passengers capsized near Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as A C Thomas and his wife, Lovely, residents of Kizhakkekkara near Kottarakkara Market.

"The Indian Embassy in Vietnam has confirmed that the couple's bodies have been recovered. The government has also initiated arrangements to bring the bodies back to Kerala," said MP Kodikunnil Suresh.

"I have also spoken to the Minister of External Affairs, and the necessary procedures are underway. The Kollam District Collector and the District Police Chief have been officially informed and directed to assist with the required procedures and follow-up," the MP said. "As far as we have been informed, the couple were the only Malayalis involved in the accident," he added.

The couple had left for Vietnam on a group tour on July 7. According to family members, they remained in touch until Friday morning.

"I last spoke to them on Friday morning," said Thomas's brother, A C Varghese. "We first came to know about the accident through news reports. When we contacted the authorities there, it was confirmed that the couple was among those on board the boat that capsized," he said.

Thomas was the owner of Victory Group, a pharmaceutical and surgical distribution company based in Kollam. Kodikunnil Suresh also said the couple was on a business-related sponsored trip.

The Indian Embassy in Hanoi earlier confirmed the accident and said that local authorities were still ascertaining the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. "In a tragic incident, a boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam," the embassy said in a post on X.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said that the Indian Embassy and Consulate were working closely with the Vietnamese authorities to provide all possible assistance. "My sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. My prayers for the early recovery of the injured survivors," Modi said in a post on X. "Our Embassy and Consulate are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with the Vietnamese authorities," he added.

The embassy has set up control rooms at the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City to assist affected families and provide information. The Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City can be contacted at +84 36 281 7930, +84 91 552 3714, or +84 33 452 0414, while the Embassy in Hanoi has issued the helpline +84 91 308 9165. The mission said the helplines would remain operational to respond to queries and provide assistance.