Rescue divers recovered five more bodies from the ocean off the Thai island of Phuket on Saturday, 48 hours after a ship capsized in rough waters, killing dozens of Chinese passengers. The latest findings bring the death toll to 48.
Many of the victims were found drifting at sea, still wearing life jackets, several kilometers from where the Phoenix sank after being hit by five-meter-high storm waves.
It is one in every of the worst boat disasters in recent history in Thailand, a rustic with a poor health and safety record despite being heavily depending on tourism.
“Five bodies were found today and rescuers will proceed to envision the boat to see if there are any more bodies,” Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong said on Saturday.
The three-deck Phoenix was carrying 105 passengers, mostly Chinese tourists, when it sank on its way back from a well-liked diving spot.
Rescuers recovered about 37 bodies from the water on Friday, with the Phuket provincial government saying the island’s mortuary was full and Chinese authorities demanding the acquisition of 40 more refrigeration units.
On Thursday, about 48 people were rescued – passengers and crew – and after spending an evening within the water, a Chinese woman was fished out of the stormy waters and brought to a hospital in Phuket.
On Friday, divers reported seeing “greater than 10 bodies” floating within the hull of a ship submerged 40 meters below the surface of the Andaman Sea.
Thai Navy Rear Admiral Charoenphon Khumrasee said hopes of finding many more people alive were dwindling.
“Of course we’ll proceed the search, but the probabilities of survival are low. We will wait until the bodies float up on their very own,” he said on Saturday.
China’s ambassador to Thailand, who traveled to Phuket, said Beijing had sent two search and rescue teams to assist Thai authorities.
“We want to search out the missing people as soon as possible, provide assistance to the injured and relations of the injured, and help them prepare for the following stage,” he said.
The Phoenix was one in every of several boats that appeared to have ignored a warning effective Wednesday against taking tourists on day trips to islands that stretch offshore from tourist hotspot Phuket.
It sank during difficult weather conditions just a few kilometers off the coast of Koh He, an islet known for its coral formations.
Several other ships bumped into trouble late Thursday, but all passengers were rescued.
Thailand is already in the worldwide highlight for a dramatic rescue mission within the north of the country after 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped in a cave complex.
Tourism is a key growth factor for Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, contributing 12 percent of gross domestic product, with most foreign visitors coming from China. Last 12 months, 9.8 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, with one other 5 million arriving between January and May this 12 months.
On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism called on Thai tourism authorities to make tourists aware of travel risks, including weather conditions.
Additional reporting by Reuters
