A fire broke out on a vessel carrying LPG tanks moored in Taphao Yai Bay about 2 kilometres from the Phuket deep-sea port off Muang district on Sunday morning. It was later put out by firefighting launches. The damage was estimated at 20 million baht.
A marine launch under the command of Pol Lt-Col Panya Chaichana on patrol duty in Taphao Yai Bay at about 8.30am spotted the ship with a crewman on board waving for help. He was later identified as Panurat Rakchon, 34, of Samut Prakan province.
Mr Panurat was immediately rescued from the vessel. He said the fire broke out in the radio room on the second deck of the ship which carries two LPG tanks, each capable of holding 10 million litres of the gas, about 5,000 litres of bulk oil and 200 litres of diesel oil.
Firefighting launches from Tambon Wichit Municipality and the Phuket deep-sea port were rushed to the scene and were able to put out the fire in about two hours.
Mr Panurat said the 600-million-baht vessel had been moored in the bay for about two months to sell the LPG. When the fire broke out, there was no LPG left in the two tanks and Mr Panurat was the only person still on the ship after three other crewmen had gone ashore in the morning.