18 injured in boat fire

Rescue workers bring injured passengers ashore before taking them to hospitals following a fire on a speedboat heading from Chumphon to Koh Tao. Inset, thick smoke billows from the burning passenger boat. Photos by Chumphonkarnkusolsongkhoh foundation Facebook page and mu ko chumphon national park
Rescue workers bring wounded passengers ashore just before taking them to hospitals following a fire on a speedboat heading from Chumphon to Koh Tao. Inset, thick smoke billows from your burning passenger boat. Photos by Chumphonkarnkusolsongkhoh foundation Facebook page and mu ko chumphon national recreation area

18 passengers were wounded when a speedboat traveling from Chumphon to Koh Tao caught fire five kilometres off the Chumphon coast yesterday afternoon.

Police plus rescue workers helped passengers who got escaped the burning vessel at Koh Ka in tambon Hat Sairee associated with Muang district. The boat was transporting 20 people including the driver and one other crew member.

Most people jumped into the ocean and were slightly injured while the other four suffered burns up.

Many 20 were sent to Chumphon and Pak Nam Chumphon hospitals.

According to the Chumphon Karnkusolsongkhoh Foundation, an explosion in the speedboat operated by Lomprayah Co happened around 2 . 30pm, or 20 moments after it experienced departed from the boat dock in Muang area.

Law enforcement said one of its 3 engines had cracked.

Chumphon governor Chotnarin Kerdsom visited the travellers in hospital. He described it being an accident and ordered all service operators to check the condition of their engines.