Fire guts Ayutthaya tour boat, all on board safe
text size

Fire guts Ayutthaya tour boat, all on board safe

Crews from two other vessels on Chao Phraya River help with evacuation

Smoke and flames pour from the tourist boat Kalae during a trip along the Chao Phraya River in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district of Ayutthaya province on Tuesday. (Photo: Ayutthaya rescue unit Facebook account)
Smoke and flames pour from the tourist boat Kalae during a trip along the Chao Phraya River in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district of Ayutthaya province on Tuesday. (Photo: Ayutthaya rescue unit Facebook account)

A fire broke out on a sightseeing boat while it cruised along the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya on Tuesday but all passengers and crew members are safe.

A volunteer rescue unit reported the blaze at 2.30pm on the Kalae that was carrying 24 tourists, five of them children, and two crew members to see historic sites along the river in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district while lunch was served on board.

Crews from another tourist boat and a ship from the Marine Office in the province saw the incident and evacuated everyone onto their vessels to take them ashore. The wind also blew the stricken boat to the river bank to make extinguishing the blaze easier.

Natnicha Sorndee, the boat owner, said the vessel was equipped with all safety gear, including lifejackets, and the engine was regularly checked in line with safety standards set by the Marine Department, according to Channel 3.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze and the damage has not been evaluated.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (6)