Tourist Dive Boat Catches Fire off Khao Lak, 26 Rescued in Dramatic Sea Evacuation

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

Panic struck early morning of 12 April, when a liveaboard diving boat carrying 26 people caught fire near a popular dive site off the coast of Khao Lak in southern Thailand. All passengers and crew were safely rescued in a dramatic sea evacuation.

 

At approximately0 4:15, the Third Naval Area Command’s Maritime Coordination Centre received a distress call via the 1465 hotline reporting a fire on board a dive vessel at the Boonsung Wreck dive site, located 13 nautical miles from Thap Lamu Pier in Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga Province. The site lies west of Cape Coral Reef, a major tourist attraction in Khao Lak.

 

The stricken vessel, identified as the MV Dirace Class B, had departed from Ban Thap Lamu Pier on a diving excursion to explore the rich marine biodiversity of the area, which includes coral reefs and numerous fish species such as groupers, yellow snappers, lionfish, and even rare sea creatures like white-eyed moray eels and nudibranchs.

 

On board were 16 tourists and 10 crew members. As flames engulfed the vessel, all aboard evacuated into life rafts. Nearby boats responded promptly to the emergency and successfully brought everyone to safety ashore.

Naval authorities deployed patrol boat Tor 271, along with mobile water-pumping units and support from the Royal Thai Navy ship HTMS Phuket, to combat the blaze. Firefighting operations continued into the morning.

 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities have praised the swift coordination between emergency services, naval units, and local vessels, which averted what could have been a major maritime tragedy.

 

 

-- 2025-04-12

 

[chuang]

Lately it's one too many....

[petedk]

I can copy and paste my last posting

 

"This seems to be an every day occurrence now."

 

I wonder how many times next week I can use these words.