Kollam

The last rites of Kerala couple A C Thomas and his wife Loveni Thomas, who were among the 15 Indian tourists killed in a speedboat accident in Vietnam, were held at Kottarakkara here on Wednesday, with thousands gathering to pay their final respects.

The funeral was held at the Mar Thoma Syrian Church cemetery after the bodies were kept for public homage at the Mar Thoma Jubilee Hall, where relatives, friends and residents queued up to bid farewell to the couple.

Among those who paid their respects were MPs N K Premachandran and Kodikunnil Suresh, former Kerala ministers K N Balagopal and K B Ganesh Kumar, besides several political, social and religious leaders.

Speaking to PTI, Premachandran urged the Centre to immediately initiate diplomatic talks with the Vietnamese government and seek a comprehensive investigation into the accident.

"The Central government should immediately take up the matter with the Vietnamese government and ensure that a detailed investigation is carried out," he said.

Remembering the couple, the MP said they were well known in the region for their charity work and active involvement in social and public causes.

Kodikunnil Suresh also called for immediate intervention by the Centre, saying the Union government should take the lead in ensuring a thorough probe into the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

"The families deserve answers. A comprehensive investigation is needed to find out what led to the accident and whether there were any safety lapses," he told PTI.

The mortal remains of Thomas (57) and Loveni (56), natives of Kottarakkara, arrived at Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday morning from Mumbai on an Air India flight.

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According to Vietnamese media reports, 15 Indian tourists were killed when a speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four crew members capsized about 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc on Saturday.