Fire on trawler, crew rescued

Fire on trawler, crew rescued

The fire on the fishing trawler Venus off the Pattani coast on Saturday night. (Photo supplied via Assawin Pakkawan)
The fire on the fishing trawler Venus off the Pattani coast on Saturday night. (Photo supplied via Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA: All 12 crew were taken to safety after a fishing trawler caught fire while refuelling in the Gulf of Thailand off Pattani province on Saturday night.

The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 2 (Thai-MECC Region 2) received a report about 11.15pm that a Thai fishing boat named Venus had caught fire while being refuelled in the sea east of Pattani's Laem Tachi.

The report said the fate of the crew was not known.

The patrol boat Tor 992 was ordered to mount a rescue, and departed from the mouth of the Kolok river in Narathiwat that same night, the maritime centre said.

It arrived at the distressed boat's reported position about 5.30am on Sunday. The fire was found to have been put out, leaving the boat badly damaged. The 12 crewmen, including the skipper, were safe.

The fire-damaged boat, with the skipper and two crew aboard, was towed by another fishing boat to the shore.

The nine other crewmen, all of them Myanmar nationals, were taken to shore by the Tor 992. All tested negative for Covid-19.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT

Zelensky says counter-offensive under way

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian counter-offensive operations were under way, but remained discreet on details beyond sending a message to the Kremlin that his top generals were in high spirits.

10 Jun 2023

Rare Chinese Buddha statue could fetch at least $1m

PARIS: A rare Chinese Buddha statue, found in a French family home and part of a set thought to have been lost, is expected to fetch €1 million ($1.1 million) when it is auctioned on Tuesday in Paris.

10 Jun 2023

Smugglers caught with 48 macaques

Two members of a wildlife smuggling gang were arrested in Muang district of Chumphon on Saturday as they attempted to transport 48 macaques in a car from the South to the East.

10 Jun 2023