Phang Nga – A boatman was injured in a blaze that engulfed a speedboat in Phang Nga province on Monday.
Head of the Phang Nga Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, Sayan Kijmano received a call at 10:30am on August 13 reporting a tourist speedboat completely engulfed in flames in the area of Ao Mhan Beach in Takua Tung district of Phang Nga. The office head rushed to the scene with Khlong Kian Sub-District Chief Uthit Majchaves and Assistant Head of Phang Nga Bay National Park Pramote Kaeonam. The officials found a dual engine fiber speedboat named BBC Lion 9 ablaze off the shoreline. The fire resulted in one person on board being injured while all the passengers were already off the boat.
The boat’s captain Wanchat Un-kaow explained that the vessel had been traveling from Laem Sai Dock in Phuket with 20 tourists from the Middle East. The boat had parked off Ao Mhan Beach to allow its passengers to swim in the ocean. The captain left his engineer to watch the boat so he could have breakfast on shore. However an explosion took place causing a fire on the boat, and injuring the engineer. Other boat operators nearby were able to rescue the engineer and arrange his transfer to Takua Tung Hospital while a new speedboat was dispatched so that the tourists were able to continue their trip.
Authorities are investigating the incident and have said they will take action if any foul play is suspected.
