on 16 Dec 2022
Investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing
A tour boat anchored at a pier in Muang district in Phuket has been destroyed by a fire, according to local media reports. No injuries have been reported in the blaze.
Five fire engines were called to the Khlong Tha Chin Port in the early hours of 12 December after the fire started on the bow of the 30m baht (US$860,000) tour boat, which had been moored to a dock. The vessel was named in local media as Sea Angel Beyond, and is reported to be the largest boat in the fleet of a regional cruise company named as Sea Angel Cruise Co.
The Passenger boat "Sea Angel Beyond" caught fire at 7.30am when anchored off Phuket Island but no injuries or deaths were reported. Fortunately, firefighters were able to get the fire under control before it could spread to the engine compartment. pic.twitter.com/LoqTMKMRLJ
— MarineInsight (@MarineInsight) December 12, 2022
Local boat operators and sea vessels joined the fire engines in the battle to extinguish the blaze, with fire crews initially fearing that the flames could cause an explosion if they reached the fuel tanks. Fortunately, the fire was successfully contained the same day, and did not spread to other boats in the marina. As a precaution, the burning boat was towed to a different location.
While no injuries were reported, one crew member who had been sleeping on board had to be evacuated.
It is not currently known what caused the fire to break out, and an investigation is underway with officials from the local Harbour Office on the scene.
Sea Angel Beyond is 49.5-metres long and can carry 490 passengers and 29 crew. The boat was was registered in Phuket in November 2016.