PHUKET: Two Russian children were killed and 19 other Russian tourists injured when two speedboats collided near a marina in Muang district at about 7.50am yesterday.
Police said the collision happened in the channel near Phuket Boat Lagoon as Panan 5, operated by SeaStar Co, was approaching the Royal Phuket Marina in tambon Ko Kaeo to pick up tourists.
It collided head-on with ALP 111, operated by Andaman Leisure Phuket Co, which was leaving the marina with a full load of 35 passengers, all of them Russians.
The injured tourists were immediately rushed to local hospitals.
Two of them, a 12-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl who were sitting at the front of the boat, suffered severe head trauma and later died of their injuries.
Of those injured, only one is still being treated at Phuket's Bangkok Hospital.
Eyewitnesses said the Panan 5 cut in at a junction and caused the collision, police said.
The captains of both boats have been charged with reckless driving causing deaths and injuries and their permits have been revoked, Phuket governor Phakaphong Tavipatana said.
Both boats were confiscated and withdrawn from service.
Mr Phakaphong extended his condolences to the victims' families and pledged to overhaul boating safety standards.
Police said the collision was caused by negligence, as both captains know the waters around the marina very well.
Following the accident, the Harbour Department will dredge the canal where the accident took place, as the shallow depths may obstruct boat traffic and cause accidents in the future.
The parents of the deceased victims will receive total compensation of about 1.5 million baht, while each injured person is entitled to 500,000-baht compensation.
The government will also cover the cost of their medical treatment, up to 500,000 baht.
Phuket's image as a holiday paradise has been tarnished by a string of boat accidents. In 2018, the Phoenix tourist boat sank, claiming the lives of 42 Chinese nationals.