Thailand: boat capsizes with 15 dead, 11 missing

More than ten people were still searched this Monday morning, the day after the sinking of a ship carrying Muslim pilgrims on the Chao Phraya River, which has resulted in 15 deaths, according to an updated report, informs AFP. "We are searching for around 11 missing people today," Ayutthaya Deputy Governor Rewat Prasong told reporters.

Sunday afternoon in the tourist town of Ayutthaya, located an hour journey north of Bangkok, a vessel with more than one hundred people on board sank after it hit the shore. Passengers were caught into the very loaded boat, which sank a few meters from the shore. In the core of the rain season, the river is stirred by strong currents and thousands of boats running every day.

"The death toll is now confirmed at 15, with 11 people that are still missing," declared Rewat Prasong, deputy governor of Ayutthaya province. "14 people are hospitalized," he added, stating that "the rescue operation resumed Monday morning in order to find the missing pilgrims."

"The captain will be prosecuted for careless driving and for his failure to observe the rules of navigation", indicated Sudhi Puengpikul, police chief of Ayutthaya. The vessel was equipped to carry 50 people on board and there were over 100, he added.

Accidents like this are very common in Thailand, as the boats captain are often violating the security rules by overloading the ships, lack of life jackets and with navigators who randomly run their vessels.

According to authorities, the victims are Thai citizens, with no foreign tourist being on board. The accident came as Thailand expects to welcome a record 33 million visitors this year. Road and boat accidents involving tourists are common in Thailand, where safety standards are sometimes well below international norms.