Rescue forces recover 21 bodies after sinking off Phuket from the sea

At least 21 people lost their lives in one of the worst shipwrecks in recent history of Thailand. Dozens of additional pbadengers from the "Phoenix" tourist ferry, which sank Thursday night off the island of Phuket during a storm, were still missing on Friday, according to the rescue team. Up to now, 48 pbadengers and crew members have been rescued. A total of 105 pbadengers – mainly Chinese tourists – were aboard the ship.

The 21 bodies were recovered from the sea several kilometers from the scene of the accident, said the Phuket rescue team. According to the Thai Ministry of Health, the dead were taken to the hospital for identification. The divers found at least ten other bodies inside the "Phoenix" sunken 40 meters deep, said Charoenphon Khumrasee of the Thai Navy. Divers should recover the dead from the wreck.

The rescue mission had started on the night of Friday. Helicopters continued the search to survive the day. If more survivors can be saved, however, was debatable. "I do not really know how many will survive," said Phuket governor Noraphat Plodthong. An employee of the Chinese consulate went to the island to get an idea of ​​the rescue operation.

A surviving tourist was transported to a Phuket hospital, an AFP reporter reported. The woman had been found several kilometers from the place of the accident in the sea. She drifted on the corpses of the other pbadengers. Nothing has been said about the state of the vacationer saved in the beginning.

The "Phoenix" sank several kilometers from a small island near Phuket, after being hit by a storm and hit by waves five meters high. The pbadenger boat had already fled despite a storm warning. Since Wednesday, the authorities have warned against ferries that bring tourists from Phuket to day trips to the surrounding islands before the walks. The Thai government has therefore announced an investigation into the accident.

Besides the "Phoenix", other tourist boats were leaving despite the warnings. However, their pbadengers have all been saved.

Phuket is an attraction hub, especially for Chinese holidaymakers, who account for nearly a third of the 35 million Thai tourists expected this year. Last year, 9.8 million guests traveled to Thailand from China. Due to poor safety standards, accidents frequently occur in Thai maritime and road transport.