A speedboat carrying 27 Chinese tourists and several Thai crews exploded on southern Thailand's Andaman Sea near Phi-Phi Islands on Sunday.
The 31 tourists on board the speedboat, 27 of them Chinese and the rest Thai nationals, were rescued by local authorities after the boat exploded and caught fire on Sunday, according to the island’s police chief, Boonthawee Thoraksa.
Police pointed to leaked petrol at the front of the boat as the cause of the explosion. The fire then spread to the entire vessel, prompting tourists to jump into the sea.
A Thai was killed and 16 others have been found injured, according to local media.
The speedboat was on its way to Phi-Phi Islands and caught fire near the Viking Cave in the sea at about 1 p.m. local time on Sunday. Five Chinese were seriously injured, according to the Consulate-General of China in Songkhla.
The consulate said all the Chinese tourists have been helped ashore while the rescue team is still searching for the others. All the injured were hospitalized.
Local media said there was a fuel leak. The captain went to check the engine and it suddenly exploded. The fire quickly spread, prompting all the passengers to scramble for swimming vests and jump into the sea.
Local media said there were five Thai passengers and 27 Chinese tourists, including three children on board. A seriously injured Thai crew was later pronounced dead from burns.
Both Phuket and Phi Phi islands are major tourist destinations in Thailand's south. Koh Phi Phi, located in the province of Krabi 780 kilometers south of the capital Bangkok, is known for its pristine beaches. The picturesque Maya Bay was the main filming location of The Beach, a Hollywood blockbuster released in 2000.
In January last year, 18 tourists were rescued after their boat caught fire and sank near Koh Lipe, another popular island in southern Thailand.
