“Careless captain may be the cause of boat explosion,” Krabi Police

The Krabi Governor held a meeting yesterday to discuss about marine safety with the boat companies and tourism companies in the wake of Sunday’s boat explosion off Koh Phi Phi Ley.

The meeting agreed on measures to cover pre-incident, during the incident and post-incident, to improve the rescue efficiency and to encourage trust among tourists. An information ‘central HQ’ that will spread news through different channels has also been launched which aims to provide updated and accurate information to everyone and to minimise misleading ‘chatter’ that can add to an emergency situation’s confusion.

Regarding last Sunday’s boat explosion off the Viking Cave attraction, Pol Lt Col Chettapat Wichaidit from the Koh Phi Phi Police Station, said that forensic police have been examining the 250cc engines that were mounted on the boat’s transom (and were still there when the wreckage was recovered on Monday).

“All of the staff said the same thing – that the captain smelt the fuel but he kept driving. Even though he tried to find the cause of smell, he is still guilty because he did nothing to check or rectify the situation. He should have called another boat immediately to transport the passengers,” Pol Lt Col Chettapat.

According to a speed boat specialist mechanic, fuel tank leaks were unlikely but it is still possible.

“The causes that might contribute to the fuel tank leaking could be impact from big waves or because the captain didn’t lock the tank tight lids enough or get crew to do routine checks. The cause of a fuel pipe leak can be attributed to poor maintenance.”

“The inspection of the wreckage is quite difficult because most of the evidence has been washed away with the submersion, particularly the fuel, fuel pipes and all the cabling. They are also comparing similar engines and fuel systems on boats that do the same amount of work on the local tour circuit.”