15 dead and several missing in Chao Phraya boat crash

The death toll has risen to 15 people, with 16 more missing, after a boat carrying Thai Muslim pilgrims sank on Thailand’s Chao Phraya River after hitting a bridge.

The accident happened near the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a popular tourist attraction, although no foreigners were believed to be among the dead.

In the latest figure reported by FM91 BKK this morning, 45 people were injured while 16 others were still reported as missing. Eight of the missing people are children aged 2 to 13.

Video footage posted online showed desperate scenes of rescue workers scrambling to reach the stricken two-floor vessel, its lower deck submerged under water.

Rescuers threw ropes to help people swim to land as others gave CPR to unconscious victims on the banks of the river. Some 100 people were believed to have been on board when the boat went down.

“The boat tried to avoid another vessel and crashed into the concrete column of a bridge,” said Udomsak Khaonoona, disaster prevention chief for the city, adding that the passengers were local.

The boat carried the Muslim pilgrims from Nonthaburi to Takai masajid in Ayutthaya where the religious ceremony took place. The accident occurred when the boat made its way back to Nonthaburi, according to Thai PBS.

Rewat Prasong, deputy governor of Ayutthaya province, said most of those on board the boat were locals returning from a nearby mosque.

“The boat driver may not have been used to this area and there was a strong tide,” he said.

Ayutthaya police said they have detained the boat driver, Wirat Chaisirikul, 67, and questioned him at the station.

Wirat admitted that he was not familiar with the area. Police will not charge him until they have questioned all witnesses, Bangkok Biz News reported.

Despite its relative wealth compared to neighboring countries and huge tourism sector, accidents are common on Thailand’s public transport network. Safety regulations are often weakly enforced.

The country has one of the world’s worst road traffic death rates, and crashes of speedboats operating between the popular southern tourist islands are also common.

The Chao Phraya, the main river that flows through Bangkok, is a key commuting artery, filled with often-packed boats navigating the waterway at breakneck speed.

Story: AFP/ Bangkok Biz News/ FM91 BKK



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