Hunt on for missing tourists

By The Nation

 

DOZENS DEAD AFTER DIVE YACHT CAPSIZES OFF PHUKET

 

AT LEAST 33 tourists have died and dozens are missing after strong waves and bad weather sunk a dive yacht packed with mainly Chinese visitors off the resort island of Phuket on Thursday.

 

Phuket Governor Norapat Plodthong said rescuers have retrieved at least 32 bodies from the sea while 23 others are still missing and 49 were rescued.

 

Many victims of the accident near Koh Hay island drowned despite wearing life jackets. 

 

 

At press time, sea and air searches continued with the main focus on the sunk Phoenix yacht. 

The Phoenix, carrying 93 passengers and 12 crew members, was operating near Koh Hay island as part of a snorkelling and swimming trip, when the accident happened.

 

 

Vessels from the Royal Thai Navy, coastal patrol units and private-owned boats were deployed to help comb the area for missing passengers. Scores of divers were assigned to check the sunken Phoenix.

 

The governor searchers would focus on the Phoenix, as well as combing the sea at a radius of 10 kilometres from the accident.

 

Rear Admiral Charoenpon Kumrasee said that Navy divers had gone down to the vessel and entered one room.

 

 

“In that room, the divers found about 10 passengers stuck inside. However it was difficult to retrieve them as the ship is about 40 metres underwater. The first batch of divers spent about 45 minutes there and the second batch will follow for an additional search,” Charoenpon said.

 

Kanokkittika Krittawuttikorn, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office, said she is collecting information to report to Beijing who will advise the passengers’ families.

 

Some of the surviving tourists were still being treated in a local hospital last night while others were sent home.

 

The storm and high waves caused another boat accident off Phuket. The Senereta vessel, carrying 149 passengers, sunk although no one died in the incident.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said that the families of the victims of the boat accident would get Bt300,000 from the government.

 

The ministry has a fund to compensate the families of tourists injured or killed in accidents. Those injured would receive up to Bt500,000 each towards medical bills.

 

 

Weerasak said the ministry has set up a coordination centre for efforts to help surviving tourists. Weerasak said the Phoenix has a licence issued to the TC Blue Dream Co Ltd and the company has bought insurance for passengers. He said each dead victim’s family would receive Bt1 million in compensation from the insurance policy while those injured would receive Bt500,000.

 

As a preliminary act, police have notified the captain of the Phoenix of pending charges of being reckless, causing an accident that injured and killed others.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349504

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-07

28 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He said each dead victim’s family would receive Bt1 million in compensation from the insurance policy while those injured would receive Bt500,000.

Sad to see that when it comes to insuring a tourist lives a pittance is offered for could be a gross negligence and incompetence on the part of the tour and the boat operators, i'm sure that not what any tourist sign up for when they come to Thailand, if you can't make the country safer at least make sure that in case of a calamity of death and injuries the affected party will be well compensated... 

 

If the sea was rough, wouldn't that be the time the captain would order everyone to don the life jackets.

 

Oh wait,  No life vests available?

"Weerasak said the Phoenix has a licence issued to the TC Blue Dream Co Ltd and the company has bought insurance for passengers. He said each dead victim’s family wou ld receive Bt1 million in compensation from the insurance policy while thos e injured would receive Bt500,000"

 

It says insurance has been bought, as if after the sinking was possible even. Whether before or after I think it is highly unlikely that company had insurance that would cover the victims for over $1m in payouts. 

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

If the sea was rough, wouldn't that be the time the captain would order everyone to don the life jackets.

 

Oh wait,  No life vests available?

Everybody was wearing a lifejacket. And worse, the jackets caused the death of some because they got stuck inside with the jackets.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Hunt on for missing tourists

I can hardly believe the extent to which the govt and even the press are trying to downplay this disaster. The hunt is to discover the dead bodies of the Chinese tourists who have no chance of being alive at this point. Pointing out that 49 were rescued when possibly 55 are dead does not make this some sort of equal score. Its a disaster.

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

If the sea was rough, wouldn't that be the time the captain would order everyone to don the life jackets.

 

Oh wait,  No life vests available?

Oh wait, go back and read the article again.

19 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Everybody was wearing a lifejacket. And worse, the jackets caused the death of some because they got stuck inside with the jackets.

Good to know you were on the job and can give us first hand knowledge of what's going on.if you look closely at the pictures of the ringed rubber life raft you can see some of the passengers without life vests and some wearing their personal back packs.do keep us informed of anymore on site updates.

Sorry to say but Thailand  must be grateful for cave debacle at least it keeps this disaster off the headlines.

 

That along with the more disgusting fact Thai news TV included is blatantly playing down this issue... they are searching for dead bodies  now not survivors and death toll will be 50/60

23 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

47 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Everybody was wearing a lifejacket. And worse, the jackets caused the death of some because they got stuck inside with the jackets.

Good to know you were on the job and can give us first hand knowledge of what's going on.if you look closely at the pictures of the ringed rubber life raft you can see some of the passengers without life vests and some wearing their personal back packs.do keep us informed of anymore on site updates.

 

 

He posted it on TVF so it must be true,  Right?              

 

All Phuket boats told to stay ashore to facilitate search for 23 still missing

 

 

The Phuket Marine Office has issued an order prohibiting all boats from leaving the Ao Chalong bay to facilitate the search for 23 passengers still missing after two boat accidents on Thursday afternoon.

 

According to the latest report of the search and rescue centre of the province, 33 passengers, most of the Chinese tourists, were confirmed dead and 23 still missing.

 

The search, involving divers, navy soldiers, marine police, volunteers and officials from other agencie, was called off late on Friday night and was due to resume this morning.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/phuket-boats-told-stay-ashore-facilitate-search-23-still-missing/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-07-07

5 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

All Phuket boats told to stay ashore to facilitate search for 23 still missing

 

 

At last a good decision. Image all those tourists getting on boats yesterday and see all the rescue groups on and about the pier. Or perhaps they thought just a normal day in Chalong ....? 

6 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

At last a good decision. Image all those tourists getting on boats yesterday and see all the rescue groups on and about the pier. Or perhaps they thought just a normal day in Chalong ....? 

Yesterday was the same, also no boats from Chalong Pier.

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yesterday was the same, also no boats from Chalong Pier.

 

Ok. I read that they were allowing boats over 10m long depart from Chalong. My bad.

You got to blame the government, 20 years ago boats used to go out in bad weather and wing it, most times get away from it. So 20 years on its still the same money trumps safety

49 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You got to blame the government, 20 years ago boats used to go out in bad weather and wing it, most times get away from it. So 20 years on its still the same money trumps safety

I'm not a gambler but I'd put a bet on that in 20 years time it will still be happening.

 

Looks like the sea here is more deadly than the roads as a humongous number of poor souls perish needlessly.  

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Everybody was wearing a lifejacket. And worse, the jackets caused the death of some because they got stuck inside with the jackets.

The "life jackets" as described here on all Thai registered boats, are NOT life jackets, rather they are floatation jackets normally used by water skiers et al. True life jackets have a rolled collar to stop the head being submerged as well as keeping the wearer lying on their back. These floatation jackets do neither hence bodies being found face down. Thai "life jackets" are not SOLAS approved. Further, Thai registration of boats for public use does not require stability testing and would not pass registration in any western country..

Not a good PR job allowing overloaded yachts taking Chinese to Coral Island for their rip off seeing their countrymen dead in the water and asking awkward questions.

14 minutes ago, Capex said:

The "life jackets" as described here on all Thai registered boats, are NOT life jackets, rather they are floatation jackets normally used by water skiers et al. True life jackets have a rolled collar to stop the head being submerged as well as keeping the wearer lying on their back. These floatation jackets do neither hence bodies being found face down. Thai "life jackets" are not SOLAS approved. Further, Thai registration of boats for public use does not require stability testing and would not pass registration in any western country..

Many boats have those jackets, this one apparently did not.

2 hours ago, stuandjulie said:

Not a good PR job allowing overloaded yachts taking Chinese to Coral Island for their rip off seeing their countrymen dead in the water and asking awkward questions.

It seems that it is a bit of an 'own goal'. Allegedly the boat is Chinese owned and all the tours are booked and filled in China. Apparently it has very little to do with the Thais, its a nominated company hence the reason that it was full of Chinese.

Don't think I would be getting on any boat at the moment what ever size.