A ferry with passengers on board caught fire in Thailand early on Thursday April 4. Various photos show people wearing life jackets as the fire spreads through the vessel.
According to Fire & Rescue Thailand, the fire broke out at around 7.00am local time, about three nautical miles off the coast of Koh Tao. The ferry was en route from Surat Thani to Koh Tao.
Video footage showed people hurrying out of the ferry’s cabin while putting on life vests, as thick black smoke swept across the ferry.
Thick smoke was seen billowing into the air following the blaze. Videos showed the ferry was also carrying several vehicles. Boats nearby were dispatched to the scene of the accident to rescue passengers, according to the Facebook page of the Disaster and Mitigation Special Unit.
The ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao caught fire at approximately 7:00 a.m. on April 4, 2024. The incident was reported by the Fire & Rescue Thailand on social media showing in a video the moment the ferry was burning.
Various aid agencies were involved in the incident of Thursday and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Footage captured the moments after the blaze erupted, showing panicked passengers desperately awaited rescue.
Ko Tao is an island in Thailand and is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand.
