1 person dead, 4 remain missing after boat capsize on reservoir near Laos border

One person has drowned whilst four others remain missing, presumed dead, after their boat struck an obstacle, probably a tree stump, that was submerged under the surface. The boat capsized on Sirikit Reservoir in Thailand’s northern province of Uttradit, near the Laos border.

Rescue workers have been able to retrieve five other passengers and the boat’s captain from the reservoir, but 4 are still missing. One body has been recovered from the water as a result of the search.

The boat was travelling from the Ban Huay Ta village in Tha Pla district, carrying 10 passengers and a vehicle. It was headed for Ban Tha Rua when it hit the submerged tree stump as it approaching some small islands in the middle of the reservoir.

Authorities report that the water levels in the dam have dropped substantially. The director of Phrae provincial marine office speculated that the boat skipper might have lost track of the normal navigational track across the dam due to the changing landscape.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World