Grief engulfed the family of N. Balaji, 44, a resident of Thiruvanaikovil in Tiruchi, who was among those killed in the boat accident near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday (July 11, 2026).
Balaji, a B. Com graduate and a manager at Sellmore Marketing Pvt. Ltd. in Ariyamangalam, had travelled to Vietnam along with his colleagues as part of an incentive trip organised by Lava Mobiles. “We were waiting for him to return home in two days. This news has shattered us,” his uncle Govindarajan told The Hindu.
Balaji had left for Vietnam on the night of July 8 and was scheduled to return in two days. He was the sole breadwinner of the family and is survived by his mother, wife, and two sons aged 13 and 10. Family members said his employer has been in touch with the authorities and is coordinating efforts related to the incident. The family is now awaiting the repatriation of his mortal remains from Vietnam.
Tiruchi resident A.M. Sheikh Abdullah, 56, was also among those who died in the accident. He is survived by his wife and two children. Sheikh Abdullah ran a distribution agency of Lava Mobiles products in the city and had travelled to Vietnam as part of the business tour hosted by the parent company.
S. Alagurajan, 38, a sales manager for Lava Mobiles overseeing Tiruchi, Karur and Thanjavur districts, was among those who died in the Vietnam tragedy. He is a resident of Crawford and is survived by his wife and two sons. He had travelled to Vietnam on the company-sponsored trip after achieving a three-month sales target.
The family learnt about the tragedy only around 3 p.m. through members of the Tiruchi Mobile Sangam. “We have spoken to Minister Ramesh, who assured us that steps would be taken immediately to facilitate the return of the mortal remains,” said Ragunath, his colleague.
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M. Shahul Hameed, senior vice-president, Tamil Nadu All Mobiles Retailers Association, told The Hindu that the industry body had requested representatives of Lava Mobiles to be present in Vietnam and expedite the procedures to repatriate the mortal remains of the victims at the earliest. “We have been informed that the survivors of the excursion would begin returning to India by Sunday afternoon (July 12, 2026). The bodies of the 15 Indian nationals may be sent back by Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said.
Sridhar, 62, from Salem district was also among the victims. Sridhar, a resident of Ramakrishna Road in Salem, was a mobile phone dealer with an office at Alagapuram. He is survived by wife, a son, and a daughter.
Published - July 12, 2026 12:40 pm IST