Harbor Department holds urgent meeting following ferry fire

[Thaivisa News]

Krabi:- The Harbor Department Thursday held an urgent meeting of directors of the Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket Ranong, Satun and Trang harbor offices following a ferry fire in Krabi.

Wichai Khamkhong, the Phuket Regional harbor chief, who is charge of the five southern provinces, said he held the meeting to order the provincial harbor chiefs to step up security measures – especially during the long Songkran holidays when revelers flock to visit popular islands and beaches.

On Wednesday, a Krabi-Phuket ferry caught fire and sank shortly after it left the Nopparat Thara beach heading to Phuket. All passengers were rescued except a 12-year-old Israeli who was trapped inside the boat and drowned.

Wichai said he instructed all the provincial harbor offices to order all kind of passenger boats and ferries to check life-saving gears and extinguishers to make sure that they will not malfunction when an accident occurs.

The harbor offices will also have to make sure that the ferries and passenger or tourist-sightseeing boats will not be overloaded, Wichai added.

Boats that violate these safety measures must face drastic actions to ensure the safety of tourists during the Songkran holidays.

Boonchao Tuangsiriphaisal, the director of the Krabi harbor office, said he will soon call a meeting of operators of passenger boats and ferries in his province.

Boonchao said the operators will be told to make sure that their boats are equipped with life-saving gear and fire extinguishers.

He said if any boat does not have fire extinguishers or the extinguishers have not been certified and if they do not have enough lifebuoys or lifejackets, the boat operators will face drastic legal actions. The boats will also be required to provide lifejackets for children, Boonchao added.

[khwaibah]

All the suggestion are great but its like closing the barn door after the cow got out.

[Searat7]

Engine rooms should be equipped with fire extinguishing systems.....hand operated fire extinguishers are not enough. I am sure this boat had Diesel engines which are usually much safer than gas engines. They really need to pin down the source of the fire.

[Oziex1]

"Wichai said he instructed all the provincial harbor offices to order all kind of passenger boats and ferries to check life-saving gears and extinguishers to make sure that they will not malfunction when an accident occurs"

Putting out fires and abandoning ship, OK reactive measures a little low down on the safety hierarchy pyramid.

How about inspections of engine room where the fires usually start and the general seaworthiness of the vessel, and as Searat7 says a fire suppression system in the engine room.

[phil2407]

He has to be seen doing something as 12 yr old died (may she RIP) and after Songkran never mentioned again or followed up until next year and same BS - maybe the news reporter can chase up?

[Bloodnut]

What a tragedy for this girls family! Could it have been averted with proper firefighting equipment on board and mandatory firefighting training for the entire crew? Thailand has been a member of the International Maritime Organisation since 1973. All Thai commerical operating captains and crew are required to be trained up to the IMO Standards ofTraining, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW95/10) code ratings as per the international conventions in 1995 and the amendments in Manilla in 2010. This means the country has 'signed up' to take action on Basic Training of ALL crew on board commercial vessels.

Each and every crew member 'must have done' the Basic Safety Training (BST) levels of The STCW 95 Code. Thailand as a signatory to these conventions requires that crew members must take this 5-day course of instruction before they can work on any commercial vessel of any kind. i.e. any boat with paying passengers. BST is actually a full 4 and a half days of structured courses – Basic Firefighting, Personal Survival, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, Elementary First Aid and Proficiency in Security Awareness. This course has to be renewed every 5 years, or under certain conditions, you have to show that you have at least 1 year of service on board vessels of 200 grt or more within the last 5 years to comply.

I wonder if Thailand is keeping up with the rest of the world on these SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) mandates?

There are several "Marine Schools" offering the STCW95/10 training and even a few springing up in Phuket.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-lifestyle/-Phuket-Boating-Excellence-served/56791#ad-image-4

Wouldn't it be a step in the right direction for Phuket, Krabi and Trang Harbour Dept bosses to regulate and police their own waterways and check on all crew to ensure safer boating practises for everyone? The Thai Maritime industry seems not to have the political will to even try and 'keep up' with the rest of the world on safety issues. What a pity... Khun Cap Rua my Cap Rua - where are you?