A tourist speedboat carrying 31 passengers exploded in front of Phi Phi Le island in the southern Thailand province of Krabi on Sunday, injuring 16, mostly tourists from China, the Phi Phi police told Reuters.
The speedboat, named “King Poseidon”, was ferrying 27 Chinese tourists from the nearby resort island of Phuket to Phi Phi before its engine caught fire and exploded injuring 14 tourists and two crew members, the police said, adding that the authority is still investigating the cause of the explosion.
Get daily National news
Out of the 16 injured, six are in a severe condition, Phi Phi hospital staff told Reuters, adding that seven people have been sent to hospitals in Phuket for further treatment and nine have been discharged.
READ MORE: Casino boat goes up in flames off Florida’s Gulf Coast, 15 injured
Beach resorts and islands in southern Thailand are major tourist attractions, particularly during the high season from November to March.
Tourism accounts for around 12 percent of Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy and is one of its fastest growing sectors.
The Thai Ministy of Tourism and Sports expects the country to welcome 37 to 38 million tourists in 2018, up from around 35 million visitors last year, 10 million of which were tourists from China.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um)
- Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani leader for ‘tragic incident’ involving Azerbaijani plane
- IN PHOTOS: Hundreds gather for Hong Kong’s 1st pyrotechnics drone show
- Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office
- Bloodied Ukrainian soldiers risk losing more hard-won land in Kursk to Russia
-
![]()
‘Shocked’: China car ramming attack kills 35, injures dozens -
![]()
Azerbaijan Airlines crash: Putin apologizes for ‘tragic incident’ amid Russian involvement accusations -
![]()
Smog struggles could put an end to longstanding India-Pakistan conflict: expert -
![]()
Azerbaijan Airlines crash: Russia under scrutiny as evidence suggests link
Comments