KOH TAO — Maritime authorities in Surat Thani province successfully rescued 21 international tourists and crew members from a vessel that caught fire approximately 5 nautical miles from Koh Tao on Sunday morning, March 16. However, one British female national remains unaccounted for.
According to preliminary investigations by Koh Tao police, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. The vessel was carrying a total of 22 people, including one regular crew member, the boat captain, two diving instructor assistants, two diving instructors, and 16 tourists participating in diving activities.
The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the incident reported to police that Miss Alexandra Clarke, 26, had requested to surface from the water and used the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet.”
The vessel, operated by Davy Jones Locker company, had departed from Koh Tao for a diving excursion when the incident occurred. Initial findings suggest the fire originated in the engine room before spreading to the captain’s quarters and the rear head. A nearby vessel managed to rescue nearly everyone on board, with the exception of Miss Alexandra, who is believed to have been in the toilet. The search operation is still ongoing.
Investigators determined the cause of the fire was related to a malfunction. A 48-year-old Myanmar worker identified only as “Tae” was in the process of filling diving tanks with compressed air when the compression equipment malfunctioned, igniting and subsequently setting the boat ablaze.
Initially, officials planned to pull the boat to shore to allow authorities and forensic officials to conduct a thorough investigation. However, the boat sank before this could be accomplished. The Regional Harbor Office of Koh Phangan has therefore ordered Davy Jones Locker Company Limited to recover the shipwreck and submit their operational plans within 15 days from the date of receiving the order.
Meanwhile, the search operation for Miss Alexandra is still ongoing.
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