Rescue workers are recovering the sunken tourist boat near Phuket. The boat sank on Thursday, despite bad weather. The death toll from the accident has risen to 42, with 15 people still missing. All the dead and missing are Chinese tourists.
The Phoenix capsized in the Andaman Sea during a storm, on board were 93 Chinese tourists and 15 Thai crew members. The captain has since been charged with negligence.
Relatives and friends of the Chinese victims have arrived in Phuket to identify their loved ones. Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked Thai authorities to do everything they can to find all victims. The Chinese have sent rescue teams with divers to Thailand to help.
Three helicopters, eight ships and hundreds of rescuers are participating in the rescue operation at sea. The area being searched is between Koh Yao and Koh Phi Phi in the Andaman Sea,
The Thai government would reimburse all medical costs of the victims. According to Cheinse media, relatives of the deceased receive approximately 36.000 euros in compensation.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will travel to Phuket on Monday to monitor the search before flying to Chiang Rai's Tham Luang cave.
Tourists from China are very important to Thailand, last year 9,8 million Chinese came to the country.
Source: Bangkok Post and NOS.nl