Rescuers Tuesday still have been unable to locate two South Korean tourists lost in a speedboat collision with a trawler between Phuket and the Phi Phi islands Sunday.
Victims from the boat collision were rescued to Phuket on Sunday. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran
Marine police patrol boats, the Marine Department and the Department of Fisheries all were deployed to facilitate the search, which is taking place over a radius of about five nautical miles from the accident scene near Musang Rock, which lies about five miles from Koh Yao in Phangnga province. Officials also surveyed nearby coasts.
The two ill-fated South Korean tourists were identified as Yuwin Wo, 31, and An San Yong, 28. They were among 37 passengers on the Sea Star 29 speedboat. It was reported that the two were on the bow of the boat and were not wearing a life jacket.
Speedboat driver Surat Mat-osot, 36, was charged with recklessness. He reportedly told police he had ducked to pick an object while driving the boat from the Phi Phi islands towards Phuket province.
When he stood up, he saw his boat was about to collide with a trawler. So, he swerved but still hit a trawling line. The two South Koreans fell into the sea upon impact, which breached the hull and sank the speedboat in about 30 minutes. Twenty tourists were injured in the incident that happened at about 5.30pm Sunday.
Relatives of the missing tourists arrived in Phuket to monitor progress in the search.