Surat Thani, Surat Thani Harbor Revealing the cause of the fire in a passenger sleeping boat on Koh Tao. Initially, it is believed that the fire started from the engine compartment. Establish a fact-checking committee The investigation period does not exceed 30 days. Pictures from the time of the fire on the "Koh Charoen 2" boat, a sleeper passenger boat. and cargo that travels from Surat Thani Province Destination Koh Tao, Koh Phangan District. From the picture you can see a strong fire burning at the back of the boat. And there was a lot of smoke rising from the engine room area. Until it floats and covers the entire hull while passengers on the boat Had to escape death and gather at the bow of the ship. Revealing the moment of escaping death from the fire on the boat "Koh Charoen 2", the moment of life when Facebook user Prae Pattarinya published a clip of the incident during the incident. Along with stating the message: 'This morning in the middle of the sea. Koh Tao boat on fire My co-worker was on th is boat and had to jump into the water to escape death. May everyone be safe.' The picture shows a time when fire was raging heavily under the boat. Puff of smoke And the fire was about to spread to the cabin. while the passengers were in a state of panic wearing a life jacket Evacuated to death on the high ground of the ship. In the photo there is also a woman, a small child and a baby on the boat. This boat fire occurred around 7:00 a.m. when the boat "Koh Charoen 2" departed from Surat Thani Province The destination is Koh Tao, Koh Phangan District. At the time of the incident there were 97 passengers, both Thais and foreign tourists, and 11 crew members. There were also cars, trucks, motorcycles. and many consumer products in the ship's cargo hold This boat left Surat Thani at 11:00 p.m. After several hours there was nothing unusual. Until the morning it was almost time to dock at Koh Tao. About 2-3 nautical miles from Koh Tao, a fire suddenly broke out in the boat's engine room. creating panic among pa ssengers Everyone quickly grabbed their life jackets and put them on for safety. and try to stay in the safest place There were reports that some passengers also jumped to their deaths and fled into the water. All boat passengers returned to shore safely. Immediately after the incident The captain of the ship coordinated to request assistance from various agencies, including the navy, police, and rescue personnel. Including nearby private boat operators. Hurry and help urgently. especially the transfer of passengers from the ship. Meanwhile, officials tried to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible. It was reported that the scene of the incident was in the engine room area. The fire burned quickly and spread to the boat's cabin, cabin and control room. It took officials approximately 1 hour to bring the fire under control. All passengers and crew are safe. Capt. Natthaphon Sinpoolphon, deputy director of Sorn Chon, Surat Thani Province, said that after receiving the report of the incident The official s and boat operators on Koh Tao The boat was rushed out to help the passengers and crew. All returned to shore. There were 4 passengers who choked on smoke from the fire. Officials sent them to Sor Chonburi hospital along with Koh Samui Subdistrict Municipality. police officer Koh Tao Hospital Rescue volunteers and tourism operators A coordination center to help victims of marine disasters has been set up. The boat was on the scene even though the fire was extinguished. But there was still smoke in the boat. The officials towed the boat where the incident occurred to Koh Tao pier. For safety and put out the fire completely. Including examination to find the true cause of this fire. Director of the Regional Harbor Office Surat Thani branch reveals the preliminary cause of the boat fire is believed to have come from the engine room. There are many factors such as water pumps, electric generators, various motors, and the amount of oil in the boat. May be involved in causing a spark to occur. As for the passeng er boat where the incident occurred, it was found that the boat's condition had been inspected and the license had not yet expired. The boat is ready to use, while the equipment and fire extinguishers are as specified. However, recently a committee was set up to investigate the facts. There is an investigation period of no more than 30 days. As for the upcoming Songkran festival. Has urged operators to be careful while sailing. and ready to stop the incident in the event of an emergency. Source: Thai News Agency