Chen Wei, a businesswoman from Chongqing province, said videos and messages sent by her sister Chen De Qiong to the family’s WeChat group just before the boat capsized on Thursday showed strong waves and passengers weren’t wearing life jackets.
Sister Chen De Qiong, a 47-year-old doctor, arrived in Phuket on July 1 for a long-planned vacation along with her 12-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter, Chen Wei said.
The body of her daughter, Xing Yu Jie, was found on Friday. Chen Wei and her brother-in-law Xing Yong arrived in Phuket on Saturday afternoon after an overnight flight from Chongqing and later identified the body of Chen De Qiong, which was found earlier within the day in a Phuket hospital. Among the missing was a son, Xing Hao Ran. At least 48 people have been confirmed dead, although the death toll could rise as searches proceed.
The boat was carrying 105 people, including 93 tourists, most of them from China, when it capsized and sank in five-meter waves.
“I hear the voice of my daughter screaming,” Xing Yong said during a layover at Kuala Lumpur airport, showing the video to an Associated Press reporter. “You can see no one was wearing life jackets.”
A brief video clip filmed within the cabin area of the boat shows the boat listing and rough waves visible through the windows. A passenger falls within the aisle as his belongings fall to the cabin floor and a scream is heard.
I hear my daughter screaming. It was obvious that nobody was wearing life jackets
“I’m shaking violently and feeling dizzy,” Chen De Qiong wrote to her family. “I want to go ashore immediately,” she said in one other message, informing her that her son was not feeling well.
Chen Wei said the shipowner ignored warnings about bad weather and did not take appropriate measures to make sure passenger safety. She said the footage showed the glass windows within the boat’s cabin were sealed but must have had latches so that they might be opened to permit passengers to sail out in an emergency. Chen said that despite the rough waves, the boat didn’t stop and continued to sail.
“Three from a family where four members have passed away. How would you feel about that? Which family can withstand such a blow?” she said. “There are legal loopholes everywhere that caused this tragedy. … I just want to seek justice for my family. This is not a natural disaster. This tragedy is man-made and could have been avoided.”
She said the vacation was planned as a celebration for her niece, who had just graduated from university, and nephew, who would soon start highschool.
“A beautiful family passed away as if in a dream,” Chen said. “When my niece was found yesterday, she showed no signs of life – her body was identified by her passport. Our best hope is to find my sister and nephew.”
Chen Wei spoke to AP on the plane. Upon arrival in Phuket, the family was taken to hospital, where Xing Yong identified his wife’s body from photos.
This article appeared within the print edition of the South China Morning Post as: Family of Thailand boat crash victims seek ‘justice’
