Rescued tourists are brought aboard a fishing boat, but the Phuket governor's office says "dozens of Chinese" are missing after their tourist boat capsized. (Photo: Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation)Bangkok (VNA) – A total of 13 bodies were discoveredas of July 6 noon after a tourist boat had overturned near the Thai island ofPhuket a day earlier, reported the Thai News Agency (TNA).
The first body was recovered in early morning of July 6and 12 more were found just before noon. Forty-three people are still missing.
All boat passengers were Chinese tourists, Thai authorityconfirmed.
The boat called Phoenix was carrying at least 105 people,including 93 tourists and 12 tour guides, when it was pummelled by huge waveson the way back to Phuket from the popular snorkeling spot of Koh Racha.
The boat was flooded and began to keel over after it was hit by five-metre highwaves in the afternoon. Life jackets were later handed out to passengers andinflatable life rafts deployed, said the captain, Somjing Boontham.
Rescuers have saved 51 people. Eleven are injured, two of whom are in seriouscondition, said Phuket governor Noraphat Plodthing.
Helicopters were dispatched to find those who may havedrifted away from the boat while divers were also sent to search inside thesunken boat, he added.
According to the Chinese Consulate General in Songkhla, most of the Chinesetourists are employees of a company who were on a holiday trip with theirfamilies to Phuket.
A Chinese consular official has arrived in Phuket to monitor the rescueefforts.
The Phoenix was among several boats that appeared to have ignored a severeweather warning to take tourists on day-trips to islands off Phuket.
Another boat called Senerita also capsized in the same area on July 5 with 39European and Chinese tourists abroad. All of the passengers were rescued. –VNA
VNA
