5 injured after engine explodes on Phang Nga speedboat

5 people have been injured, 3 seriously, after a moored speedboat caught fire in Phang Nga province yesterday. The incident happened around 8.30am. The boat was tied up to the Thap Lamu boat pier, where most Similan Island-bound private tour boats depart from and return to. The injured were all crew from the boat.

According to witnesses, the captain started the boat’s engines and sparks started spitting out for the engine casing, followed by an explosion. 5 crewmen were injured, 3 of them seriously, including the boat’s skipper. They were rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital, about a 90 minute drive away, and the other 2 with minor injuries were sent to the Khao Lak medical centre, just 8 kilometres away. There were no tourists on the speed boat at the time of the incident.

A Navy boat dragged the burning vessel away from the pier into the middle of the channel to prevent the fire from spreading to other boats moored at the pier.

The commander of the 2nd Naval Area, sent the HTMS Panyi to the scene to try and put out the fire, secure the area and tow the burning boat away.

The harbour’s entrance is small and an isthmus of land offers protection to boats from the Andaman Sea’s wind and waves. Many speed boats are usually moored in the harbour servicing the popular dive trips out to The Similan Islands. Local fishing boats also use the harbour.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times