Latest news with #Thai-MECC
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.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
British woman missing after fire on boat in Thailand
A British tourist is missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was reportedly in the bathroom at the back of the boat when the blaze started at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people on board the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. All others on board were accounted for. It has been reported that the cause of the fire was related to a malfunction, which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air. 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. 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
16-03-2025
- The Independent
British tourist goes missing after fire on diving boat in Thailand
A British backpacker is missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. The tourist, who has been reported to be a 26-year-old woman from Lambeth, was reportedly in the toilet when a blaze started from the engine of the wooden vessel on Sunday morning. According to officials, the boat was carrying 22 people, including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. Aside from the British tourist, all were rescued by passing boats but it is believed she had become trapped in the rear bathroom. It has been reported that the cause of the fire was related to a malfunction, which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air. Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started at 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. 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.'
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Telegraph
British woman missing after boat fire in Thailand
A British tourist is missing after a fire broke out on a diving boat off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, a backpacker from London, was reportedly in the bathroom at the back of the boat when a blaze ignited from the engine of the wooden vessel at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people aboard the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, 16 of whom were tourists, according to officials. Fifteen tourists were evacuated to another boat, along with two crew members and four diving instructors and assistants. Photos from the scene show large plumes of smoke billowing across the sky, as neighbouring boats watch on. After the fire was extinguished, the authorities conducted a thorough search and discovered one person was missing. The boat was reportedly transporting tourists from Koh Tao to a diving site at Southwest Pinnacle, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. Capt Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, the deputy director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, 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.' Lt Col Nattapol Sinpunphol, the deputy director of the Surat Thani Marine Department, said: 'The search is continuing for one missing tourist, a female, Alexandra Clarke, from the United Kingdom. 'The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents. All boats in the area have been notified. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised.' A spokesman for the Foreign Office told The Telegraph: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.' Koh Tao, a popular scuba diving destination, has been branded Death Island in recent years following a number of murders and disappearances. In 2014, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, two British backpackers, were found on Sairee Beach in the early hours of Sept 15. Doubt still lingers on the conviction of two migrant Burmese workers, U Zaw Lin and U Win Zaw Htun, for their murder, after a stumbling police investigation and speculation of a cover-up to protect a prominent local family. There have been at least 16 known cases of unexplained or suspicious tourists deaths on the island since 2014, but the number is thought to be a lot higher. Last year, the body of Theo Bailey, another British backpacker, was found in a shallow ditch on April 12 after he went missing on a night out with his girlfriend.
