All speed boat operators in southern tourist provinces have been told to carefully check their vessels to make sure that they function properly and are safe to avoid possible accident.
Mr Suchin Rattanasathien, director of Region 5 office of Marine Department, disclosed on Friday (April 20) that investigation of the the April 11 incident in Phang-nga’s Thai Muang district where two speed boats burned and exploded in flames showed that oil from the oil tank leaked out and reached the engine room as it was being repaired.
Sparks from the engine being switched on caused the oil to catch fire which eventually engulfed the speed boat. Another speed boat which was anchored a short distance away also caught from sparks from the first vessel and burned. The skipper of one of the speed boats and his mechanic suffered burns.
Da Marine, was on its way to Similan Islands from Tap Lamu with a group of Chinese tourists, but the boat developed engine malfunctioning mid-way in the sea.
The tour operator then sent another speed boat to pick up the tourist group for their journey to Similan Islands. After that, the malfunctioned speed boat was towed back to a pier for inspection.
Mr Suchin noted that the recent incident was similar to another incident occurred earlier to a speed boat, Poseidon 959, and the cause of the fire was blamed on oil leakage into the engine room.
Source link
