Scuba diving boat sinks near Phang Nga, 2 passengers still missing
Strong winds knocked over a scuba-diving boat off the coast of Phang Nga province at around 11pm on Friday. Two tourists were still missing as of press time.
The Thai Maritime Office Centre reported on Saturday that the boat called “Sawan Tour” had picked up 18 tourists from Thap Lamu Pier and sank near Ko Torinla island. The island is part of the Surin Islands National Park – an archipelago of five islands in the Andaman Sea some 55 kilometres from the mainland.
Of the 18 passengers on board, 16 have been rescued and taken to Khura Buri Pier near the area. However, two – a cook on the boat and a British tourist – are still missing.
Officials said a search operation has been launched using inflatable boats and a helicopter. They believe the two may have been swept up to 111km away from the accident site by strong currents.
