BANGKOK (AP) — Maritime authorities in Thailand on Thursday rescued almost 100 passengers from a ferry that had sprung a leak while returning from a popular tourist island to the mainland in the eastern province of Trat.
Officials of Trat’s provincial public relations office said that crew on the privately operated passenger ferry, traveling from Koh Kood to Trat city, discovered a hole in its hull about halfway through its 40-kilometer (25-mile) journey in the Gulf of Thailand. The ferry’s captain then decided to anchor the vessel due to high waves, and called for a rescue, officials said.
Other ferry operators, fishing vessels and navy boats rushed to the scene and evacuated 97 passengers and 10 crew members within an hour, they said. No injuries were reported.
Thai media reported that the water in the hull was then pumped out and the boat towed to shore.
Koh Kood is popular with backpackers and honeymooners, as well as luxury seekers. Thailand’s islands are a major draw for tourists, but there are occasional accidents at sea. The worst such case in recent years occurred in July 2018 when a boat sank in rough weather in the Andaman Sea off Thailand’s southern resort island of Phuket, killing 47 Chinese tourists.