108 PEOPLE RESCUED, 10 HOSPITALISED AS FIRE BREAKS OUT ON KOH TAO FERRY

108 PEOPLE RESCUED, 10 HOSPITALISED AS FIRE BREAKS OUT ON KOH TAO FERRY 

All 108 passengers and crew were rescued from a ferry that caught fire off Koh Tao in the early hours of yesterday, April 4.

Ten of those rescued had to be hospitalised, with 9 of them suffering from smoke inhalation and 1 Burmese worker who broke his arm jumping into the water.

The ferry was carrying a total of 97 Thai and foreign passengers, and 11 crew members. It had set sail from Surat Thani at 11pm the night before and was approaching Koh Tao when the fire broke out.

The Surat Thani Marine Office was alerted at 7am and other boats nearby were dispatched to rescue those on board. All passengers and crew had been brought to shore by 8am.

According to Chokchai Suthimek, superintendent of Koh Tao Police, the fire was brought under control by 8.20am, but the extreme heat inside the area made it difficult to determine the damage. A number of vehicles on the ferry had also been damaged in the blaze.

Meanwhile, the director of the Regional Harbour Office in Surat Thani says the fire is likely to have started in the ferry’s engine room. Pramuan Tessana says a number of things in the room could have started the blaze, including the water pump, electricity generator, motor, or fuel.

He adds that the Regional Harbour Office in Chumpon province had awarded the vessel a certificate of sailing readiness. A committee will now be set up to investigate the fire, which Pramuan says could take up to 30 days