Thailand: search resumes after a shipwreck that killed at least one person

Search for dozens of missing Chinese tourists, whose boat capsized Thursday off from Thailand's tourist island of Phuket, resumed early Friday, with divers ready to search the submerged hull, said the island's governor.

"We will conduct aerial searches and send divers to check inside the submerged Phoenix boat, "announced the governor, Noraphat Plodthong.

The boat, surprised by a storm and a wave of five meters, capsized Thursday with 105 people on board, mainly Chinese pbadengers.

The body of one of the pbadengers, who is believed to be a vacationer Chinese, was out of the sea late Thursday night and brought back to the island, shortly before stopping searches for the night.

Survivors were collected Thursday night on a pier in Phuket. Still in shock, some were huddled in blankets. Others were crying or walking, their lifejackets still on their backs.

"Eleven of them are wounded, two of them in serious condition," said the governor of Phuket.

Helicopters, police boats and fishing boats were deployed Friday morning at the airport. search for other survivors.

"Police investigators said most tourists were wearing life jackets" when the boat capsized, Plodthong added.

A Chinese consular officer arrived at Phuket operations center to monitor rescue operations.

Phoenix returns from Koh Racha, a favorite spot for snorkellers.

Other boats were in trouble Thursday in the same area, ignoring the Storm warning the public against the risks of bad weather at sea, released Wednesday.

Governor Noraphat Plodthong announced that two pbadengers from another damaged ship were still missing. On Thursday evening, the authorities initially declared that all pbadengers on these boats had been rescued.

Phuket attracts many foreign visitors, including Westerners and Chinese tourists who make up the bulk of the 35 million people expected this year in Thailand

Thailand is also receiving international media attention for the dramatic rescue of 12 children and their football coach trapped for 12 days in a flooded cave in the north.