As the death count keeps rising, one village in Ayutthaya was grieving yesterday as they buried 14 people that died in Sunday’s tragic boat accident.
The village where the accident victims come from is in Sampao Lom, Muang Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district.
More than 100 Muslim people from that village took a religious pilgrimage by boat to the Takia Yokin Mosque over the weekend. On the way back to their village, the boat hit a concrete pillar and flipped over, reported The Nation.
The most up-to-date numbers show that 27 people have died in the accident and that 2 are still missing, according to Khaosod English.
Jakkrit Senkhao, Imam at A-Lee Yinnuroy mosque, which is close to the cemetery where the 14 victims are buried, said, “It’s a big loss for Muslim people in Ayutthaya.”
One of the women on board survived the accident but lost her daughter in the tragedy.
“I’m totally crestfallen, seeing my daughter gradually losing strength to hold on to the tilted boat and finally drowning,” said Saithong Boonlak, 54. “I held her hands till the very last minute. She drowned.”
Somchai Mahamad was also on board and tasked with looking after the pilgrims. He recalled how fast and boat went down and how it was not possible to save any more people. He said, “I looked around and saw everyone scrambling for their life, some made it successfully towards the shore but some helplessly drowned. I saw everything but I didn’t know how to help them all.”
Sunee Krutarchat was onboard with her sister, who she could not find when they boat started to go down. “I finally found her at a hospital but she passed away,” the woman said.
The local mosque will have merit-making activities for the people who drowned and their friends and family.
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