Latest news with #AlexandraClarke
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Search resumes for tourist after Thai boat fire
A search has resumed in Thailand for a 26-year-old woman from south London who is missing after a boat carrying tourists caught fire and sank off the coast of the island of Koh Tao during a diving trip. Alexandra Clarke was aboard the vessel when the fire broke out on Sunday morning, the Surat Thani Provincial Public Relations Office said. On Monday, divers searched the wreckage of the boat and the surrounding area but found no trace of Ms Clarke, from Lambeth, who is believed to have been in the toilet when the fire started. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was "supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities". Koh Tao Police said it believed the boat's fuel tank overflowed when it was refilled during the journey. Officers have charged the captain and crew with negligence. The vessel left shore at about 07:30 ITC (00:30 GMT) to carry the group to a popular diving spot, the Southwest Pinnacle, local police said. Col Sarayuth Buriwachira from Koh Tao Police said the fire broke out at about 10:00 ITC after a crew member put too much fuel in the engine. "When he started the engine, a spark occurred, causing the engine to catch fire and spread, causing the entire ship to burn and eventually sink into the sea," Col Buriwachira said. The fire spread quickly, engulfing the engine room and forcing the divers, instructors and crew to jump into the sea, he added. According to the provincial office's Facebook page, authorities worked with private boat operators and volunteers to help evacuate tourists and crew to another boat safely, but that Ms Clarke was not among them. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to British tourist missing after Thailand boat fire
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
British tourist missing after Thailand boat fire
A British tourist is missing in Thailand after a boat caught fire and sank off the coast of the island of Koh Tao. The Surat Thani Provincial Public Relations Office said 26-year-old Alexandra Clarke from Lambeth, south London, was on board when the fire occurred in the ship's engine room after 09:00 ITC (02:00 GMT) on Sunday. Koh Tao Police said it believed the boat's fuel tank overflowed when it was refilled during the journey, then set alight. Officers have charged the captain and crew with negligence. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities." The provincial office's Facebook post said: "After receiving the report (of the fire), the Surat Thani Provincial Marine Office coordinated with private boats and volunteers to quickly help evacuate tourists and crew to another boat safely." It added: "One tourist is missing, a female named Alexandra Clarke, a British national. "The authorities therefore organised a search team for the missing person." Thai navy divers spent the day searching the wreckage of the boat and the surrounding seas but found no trace of the missing woman, who police said was thought to have been in the boat's toilet when the fire broke out. The cause of the blaze is under investigation but according to police, it broke out when an engine used to compress air into a fuel tank ran out during a trip to a popular dive spot in the Gulf of Thailand. Col Sarayuth Buriwachira from Koh Tao Police said the tourists and diving instructors had been taken to the Southwest Pinnacle at about 07:30. He said that at about 10:00 "an employee on the ship whose duty was to fill the air tank took extra gasoline to fill the engine tank above the amount until the gasoline overflowed and spilled". "When he started the engine, a spark occurred, causing the engine to catch fire and spread, causing the entire ship to burn and eventually sink into the sea." The fire spread quickly, he added, engulfing the engine room and forcing the divers, instructors and crew to jump into the sea. He confirmed the search for Ms Clarke would resume on Tuesday morning. The Thai government has frequently promised to improve maritime safety, in particular after 46 Chinese tourists died seven years ago when their boat capsized near Phuket, yet there have been several fatal accidents since then. Last year more than 100 passengers had to leap into the sea from a ferry heading to Koh Tao after it was consumed by a fire. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Fears grow for British tourist missing after boat caught fire in Thailand
A British backpacker is still missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat and sank off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was diving in the tourist hotspot and had asked guides if she could use the toilet before the blaze broke out on board the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people on board including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. All others on board were accounted for. The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the fire reported to police that Ms Clarke had requested to surface from the water and entered the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet. The cause of the fire was related to a malfunction which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air, according to reports. Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started around 9am local time. An emergency call was received shortly after. He said: "The boat was carrying a group of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was between five and six nautical miles away from the island. "A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat. "Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain's cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation." Weather conditions and the strength of the blaze initially made it difficult for rescue teams to get near the boat, but it has now been towed to shore. Koh Tao is a popular hub for divers and tourists thanks to its reefs and beaches. The boat was operating in an area known as Kong Tum Ku, 5-6 nautical miles from Koh Tao. When the vessel was first evacuated, it was thought that the fire could be controlled and it could be towed safely back to Ko Tao. But it suddenly sank, according to the Thai Examiner. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.'
The Independent
17-03-2025
- The Independent
Fears grow for British tourist missing after boat caught fire in Thailand
A British backpacker is still missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat and sank off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was diving in the tourist hotspot and had asked guides if she could use the toilet before the blaze broke out on board the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people on board including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. All others on board were accounted for. The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the fire reported to police that Ms Clarke had requested to surface from the water and entered the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet. The cause of the fire was related to a malfunction which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air, according to reports. Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started around 9am local time. An emergency call was received shortly after. He said: "The boat was carrying a group of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was between five and six nautical miles away from the island. "A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat. "Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain's cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation." Weather conditions and the strength of the blaze initially made it difficult for rescue teams to get near the boat, but it has now been towed to shore. Koh Tao is a popular hub for divers and tourists thanks to its reefs and beaches. The boat was operating in an area known as Kong Tum Ku, 5-6 nautical miles from Koh Tao. When the vessel was first evacuated, it was thought that the fire could be controlled and it could be towed safely back to Ko Tao. But it suddenly sank, according to the Thai Examiner. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.'
Saudi Gazette
17-03-2025
- Saudi Gazette
British tourist missing after Thailand boat fire
BANGKOK — A British tourist has been reported missing in Thailand after a boat caught fire off the coast of the island of Koh Tao. The Surat Thani Provincial Public Relations Office said 26-year-old Alexandra Clarke from Lambeth, south London, was the only tourist missing after the incident. In a Facebook post local officials said they believed 16 tourists were on the diving boat, called the Davy Jones Locker, when a blaze broke out in the ship's engine room after 09:00 ITC (02:00 GMT) on Sunday. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities." Four crew members, two diving instructors and two assistant diving instructors were also on board, according to local authorities. The provincial office's Facebook post said: "After receiving the report (of the fire), the Surat Thani Provincial Marine Office coordinated with private boats and volunteers to quickly help evacuate tourists and crew to another boat safely." It added: "One tourist is missing, a female named Alexandra Clarke, a British national. "The authorities therefore organized a search team for the missing person." The cause of the blaze is under investigation. — BBC
