Israeli girl dies in Krabi-Phuket ferry fire: police

[webfact]

Israeli girl dies in Thai ferry fire: police

AFP

A 12-year-old Israeli girl who was reported missing after a blaze destroyed a ferry packed with tourists in southern Thailand has been found dead, police said on Thursday.

Divers discovered her body trapped inside the toilet of the vessel a day after more than 100 foreigners were plucked from the Andaman Sea in a dramatic rescue when the ferry travelling between the town of Krabi and Phuket island caught fire.

"Divers found her body at around 11:00 am inside the toilet at the rear of the boat," Lieutenant General Decha Butnampetch, southern region police commander, told AFP.

He added she was the sole fatality from the accident and that her family have been informed.

Initially Krabi police had said everyone on board was safe but the Israeli girl was later listed as missing.

The search was called off due to strong currents and darkness after the sudden blaze Wednesday afternoon before resuming Thursday morning.

Among the passengers pulled from the sea were nationals from Britain, Switzerland, the United States and China.

Accidents involving boats, buses and other forms of public transport are common in Thailand, where safety standards are generally poor.

Overcrowded tourist ferries and other boats are notorious for capsizing, catching fire or hitting rocks, especially during peak tourist season when vessels are pushed to their limit.

In November 2013 three tourists were among six dead when an overcrowded ferry sank off the coast of the popular resort of Pattaya.

Thailand is striving to burnish its reputation as a tourist haven after 11 months which have seen a military coup, martial law, and scandals including the murder of two British backpackers last year.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-04-09

[LivinginKata]

Tragic loss of a young life. Surely she must have been under adult supervision. No mention of parents onboard ?

[FiestyFarang]

LivinginKata her mother and father and brother were on the boat, but when you are 12 years old you go to toilet on your own! Do you really think a 12 year old female tourist would be travelling alone.

Edited April 9, 2015 by FiestyFarang

[Tatsujin]

I know this happens elsewhere in the world, but these 2 x paragraphs sum up Thailand's transportation exactly:

"Accidents involving boats, buses and other forms of public transport are common in Thailand, where safety standards are generally poor.

Overcrowded tourist ferries and other boats are notorious for capsizing, catching fire or hitting rocks, especially during peak tourist season when vessels are pushed to their limit."

[Suffinator]

Heart goes out to the parents.

No good to talk about safety in Thailand it'll always fall on deaf ears; this is a country that cares only about money. Earlier today the government stated that the would attempt to 'negotiate' with the ICAO over air safety issues ... yes negotiate which clearly shows how incompetent this country is.

Planes, boats, buses, minivans, taxis, jet skis ... avoid them at all cost if you value your life.

[Traveller45]

Heart goes out to the parents.

No good to talk about safety in Thailand it'll always fall on deaf ears; this is a country that cares only about money. Earlier today the government stated that the would attempt to 'negotiate' with the ICAO over air safety issues ... yes negotiate which clearly shows how incompetent this country is.

Planes, boats, buses, minivans, taxis, jet skis ... avoid them at all cost if you value your life.

But you see, it IS about money. Safety is about money. Safety costs money. One of the problems is that tickets are too cheap. Another is of course that operators don't invest enough in safety. What would happen in a functioning market is that you would in due course have a diversified bunch, some operators offering decent safety standards in exchange for a slightly higher ticket price. Safety, in this instance, becomes a marketing aspect. Such operators would attract more business than the others and, in theory at least, the others would in time disappear. We know it won't happen like that because, for one reason, there is a dirt-poor populace that cannot afford these tickets and that also wants or needs to travel. I should personally like to keep State out of it. Could imagine a privately run safety certification system that is not just about bribes. It's not, because they make so much more if they keep their reputation intact. Money is a lovely mechanism, when it comes down to it, you just have to put it to proper use.

[X pat]

I sencerley hope this fairy Co. gets there but sued off over this. This is inexcusable,because they don't want to spend the money to maintain there equipment in a safe manner.

[Travelman868]

I know this happens elsewhere in the world, but these 2 x paragraphs sum up Thailand's transportation exactly:

"Accidents involving boats, buses and other forms of public transport are common in Thailand, where safety standards are generally poor.

Overcrowded tourist ferries and other boats are notorious for capsizing, catching fire or hitting rocks, especially during peak tourist season when vessels are pushed to their limit."

A while ago I was walking past a truck making a delivery to Mikes in Pattaya. The front nearside tyre was bald and the tread delaminating. The policeman who was passing the truck at the same time did nothing.

In the UK the driver would have been fined and the truck taken off the road immediately. Road deaths UK 3000 Road deaths Thailand 30000.

[CapeThai]

I guess their ferries are just as safe as their busses and minivans transporting 10s of thousands of tourists each year...

RIP the Israeli girl

[how241]

Heart goes out to the parents.

No good to talk about safety in Thailand it'll always fall on deaf ears; this is a country that cares only about money. Earlier today the government stated that the would attempt to 'negotiate' with the ICAO over air safety issues ... yes negotiate which clearly shows how incompetent this country is.

Planes, boats, buses, minivans, taxis, jet skis ... avoid them at all cost if you value your life.

+1...Safety cost money. Very sad for the girl + parents. RIP

[mettech]

It was a big explosion from the scene being showed on tv this morning, it is just to say when it happen hopefully there is crew member qualified for evacuation and plenty of life jackets.Or life boats,

If the fire started in the engine room aren't they supposed to have a co2 system to be activated from the bridge or any where else on the boat?? have they past the yearly seaworthy inspection??

I did work on a similar boat as a chief engineer and we had to go true all inspection and fire drill that come with the seaworthy inspection.

[CapeThai]

I know this happens elsewhere in the world, but these 2 x paragraphs sum up Thailand's transportation exactly:

"Accidents involving boats, buses and other forms of public transport are common in Thailand, where safety standards are generally poor.

Overcrowded tourist ferries and other boats are notorious for capsizing, catching fire or hitting rocks, especially during peak tourist season when vessels are pushed to their limit."

A while ago I was walking past a truck making a delivery to Mikes in Pattaya. The front nearside tyre was bald and the tread delaminating. The policeman who was passing the truck at the same time did nothing.

In the UK the driver would have been fined and the truck taken off the road immediately. Road deaths UK 3000 Road deaths Thailand 30000.

Agreed, I'm not a UK citizen but do have a Vivaro Van I use for business when I'm over there. Their full of shit but obviously for a very good reason which is fully acceptable

[Johnny S]

"Initially Krabi police had said everyone on board was safe but the Israeli girl was later listed as missing"

Wow ... is it too difficult to count the number of survivors from this mayhem or can these people dont count ? The incompetence takes a new low level. I dont wonder why more and more visitors say they will NEVER come back to this country thats just getting worse and worse by the day ...

RIP Little girl

[jackanapes]

the whole country appears to be a complete disaster area and I wish the incumbent pm all the luck in the world because he certainly needs it.

[Catoni]

Tragic loss of someone too young to go......

Reqiescat In Pacé little girl.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Catoni

[bander]

I have always believed that the captain of the ferry had responsibility for his passengers and made sure everyone was abandoned the ferry and that he was the last man to leave, but since we are in Thailand, I expect that he was the first to jump in the water and flee the scene. RIP to the girl who died.

[cookee68]

Heart goes out to the parents.

No good to talk about safety in Thailand it'll always fall on deaf ears; this is a country that cares only about money. Earlier today the government stated that the would attempt to 'negotiate' with the ICAO over air safety issues ... yes negotiate which clearly shows how incompetent this country is.

Planes, boats, buses, minivans, taxis, jet skis ... avoid them at all cost if you value your life.

But you see, it IS about money. Safety is about money. Safety costs money. One of the problems is that tickets are too cheap. Another is of course that operators don't invest enough in safety. What would happen in a functioning market is that you would in due course have a diversified bunch, some operators offering decent safety standards in exchange for a slightly higher ticket price. Safety, in this instance, becomes a marketing aspect. Such operators would attract more business than the others and, in theory at least, the others would in time disappear. We know it won't happen like that because, for one reason, there is a dirt-poor populace that cannot afford these tickets and that also wants or needs to travel. I should personally like to keep State out of it. Could imagine a privately run safety certification system that is not just about bribes. It's not, because they make so much more if they keep their reputation intact. Money is a lovely mechanism, when it comes down to it, you just have to put it to proper use.

Sadly so true, it is all about the money, and then again Thailand are not known for safety standards, it does not exist

[Bignose]

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"Initially Krabi police had said everyone on board was safe but the Israeli girl was later listed as missing"

Wow ... is it too difficult to count the number of survivors from this mayhem or can these people dont count ? The incompetence takes a new low level. I dont wonder why more and more visitors say they will NEVER come back to this country thats just getting worse and worse by the day ...

RIP Little girl

While I understand you're sentiment regarding the reporting of this tragedy, I think it's worth considering the circumstances.

The rescue of the survivors by various boats after the fire would (I imagine) have been chaotic, there were many craft involved landing those rescued in various locations. While it may be fashionable to be critical of the authorities, I believe you are being harsh in labeling them as incompetent. I have seen this happen in other countries under similar circumstances, it has happened in Europe and more recently in Korea, with the best of intentions the logistics of tragedies make it very difficult to maintain a "real time" total of survivors.

It has been mentioned already that the little girl was at the toilet on her own, is there something unusual in this? This little girls loss was down more to bad luck than anything else, there was no negligence or fault on the part of her family, they only did what every other family has done for years. There will be the obvious questions regarding the maintenance and operation of the ferry, this obviously has nothing to do with the family as they are blameless.

Another terrible and tragic loss for a family, they have our condolences...

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

So are you telling me the Minister of Tourism lied when he said Thailand is safe?

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

"Initially Krabi police had said everyone on board was safe but the Israeli girl was later listed as missing"

Yeah... Thai police famous for their "initial reports"

[HereIAm]

Not fair to paint such an unsafe picture of Thailand everytime there's an accident of the sort that happens all over the world. I have travelled many times to Thailand and taken many a boat ride in Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi and never felt unsafe. There are enough life jackets even on the simple longtail boats kept in full view. It's passengers' responsibility to don these life jackets. Many don't because they know swimming. Many others don't despite not knowing swimming. The positive thing in this accident is that everyone of the hundred-odd passengers on board was pulled out to safety except the unfortunate angel who was in the toilet at the time. We just got to learn whatever lessons we can and remember not to forget those lessons. Thailand is still one of the safest tourist destinations in the world.

Edited April 10, 2015 by HereIAm

[peecee]

Heart goes out to the parents.

No good to talk about safety in Thailand it'll always fall on deaf ears; this is a country that cares only about money. Earlier today the government stated that the would attempt to 'negotiate' with the ICAO over air safety issues ... yes negotiate which clearly shows how incompetent this country is.

Planes, boats, buses, minivans, taxis, jet skis ... avoid them at all cost if you value your life.

But you see, it IS about money. Safety is about money. Safety costs money. One of the problems is that tickets are too cheap. Another is of course that operators don't invest enough in safety. What would happen in a functioning market is that you would in due course have a diversified bunch, some operators offering decent safety standards in exchange for a slightly higher ticket price. Safety, in this instance, becomes a marketing aspect. Such operators would attract more business than the others and, in theory at least, the others would in time disappear. We know it won't happen like that because, for one reason, there is a dirt-poor populace that cannot afford these tickets and that also wants or needs to travel. I should personally like to keep State out of it. Could imagine a privately run safety certification system that is not just about bribes. It's not, because they make so much more if they keep their reputation intact. Money is a lovely mechanism, when it comes down to it, you just have to put it to proper use.

Lack of government interest or supervision of the industry.

[gk10002000]

"He added she was the sole fatality from the accident and that her family have been informed." I don't know. So were the parents on the boat? How did she get "trapped" in the bathroom? was she in there when the engine "explosion" happened? Have any witnesses said how big the explosion was versus just a loud pop and then fire? I was on one of the sister boats in 2013 and my memory suggests the bathroom was small and on the same level as where the inside passengers sat. Parents could not get to the bathroom to check on the girl? I know things can be a panic fast, but this just seems so odd

[LivinginKata]

There is a full report in the news that we cannot quote, that the parents and their other children were at the front of the boat. The toilet was near the stern where the fire started. The father tried to save his daughter but the fire & smoke were too intense and he had no option other to save his wife and other children. No doubt a terrible dilemma for him.