Six dead as boat ferrying tourists sinks in Thailand
Thailand News.Net Monday 4th November, 2013
BANGKOK, Thailand - At least six tourists were killed when the ferry in which they were travelling capsized near a popular Thai seaside town, police said Monday.
The double-decker ferry, carrying more than 200 passengers 50 more than its operating capacity, was sailing for the resort town of Pattaya from Lan island on Sunday evening.
Police Colonel Suwan Cheawnavinthavat said the boat developed an engine problem shortly after it departed.
In a panicky situation the passengers on the first deck rushed to the second floor, causing the ferry to flip on its side and eventually sink.
The dead included two Russians, a Chinese and three Thais. The rest of the roughly 200 people aboard were rescued, Suwan said.
"Witnesses said there were neither enough tubes nor life vests on the ferry. Some of those who could not swim had to cling onto coolers or ice containers until rescuers came," he said.
"We don't expect to find any more dead. One Russian boy is seriously ill and is in intensive care."
Television footage showed stunned tourists being led to safety. People were seen waiting on the shoreline for news about friends and family.
A local dive guide, who was one of the first on the scene, said: "The boat went down in minutes. I saw people -- some with life jackets, some without -- in the water."
"One man was holding on to a gas cylinder. There was a body face down in the water. They were all panicking, shouting for help,
"We pulled 60 people from the water, including a Russian boy. We gave him CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) but he was in a very bad way."
Suwan said the captain of the ferry ran away and was still absconding. "We will issue an arrest warrant for him. Divers will recover the boat today. We still don't know the cause."
Thailand is one of the favoured tourist destinations in Southeast Asia with some 22 million visitors last year. Pattaya, around 200 km from the capital Bangkok, is one of the country's most popular resorts.
A favourite among Russian tourists, the island nation is renowned for its vibrant nightlife and cheap accommodation
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