Fifteen people have died after a speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized near a pristine island in southern Vietnam, because nothing says 'relaxing getaway' like rough seas and an overturned vessel.

Local authorities report that 32 Indians and four crew members were on board when the boat flipped about 400 metres from Hon May Rut Ngoai island in the An Thoi Archipelago on Saturday. Because when you're island-hopping, you hope the only thing that hops is the boat - not the boat itself.

Several tourist vessels in the area rushed to help, finding many passengers trapped inside the speedboat. Twenty-one people were eventually rescued, which is the one positive note in this otherwise grim story.

Nguyen Tien Hai, a senior Communist official, suggested heavy winds and high waves may have caused the capsizing. His top priority: "Rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive." Solid plan.

The Indian embassy called the incident "tragic" and published the full list of the 32 Indian nationals on board, along with hotline numbers for affected families. Because when tragedy strikes, bureaucracy steps up.