A catamaran has sunk during a tourist excursion as nearby vessels scrambled to rescue the 38 people onboard.
The Ameray 888 started to take in water through a detached starboard window shortly after setting off.
Seawater quickly filled the vessel and it sank from view in 20 minutes about 1.6 nautical miles from shore.
The catamaran, valued at around £376,890 (THB 16 million), departed from Ko Racha Yai Island, in the south of Phuket, Thailand, at around 12.30pm yesterday (13 Jan).
Bound for the island of Koh Hey, the 44.39-gross-ton vessel sent a distress call shortly after departure.
With water pouring in through the detached window, the catamaran sank in around 20 minutes, according to the vessel’s manager, named as Ef.
The Ameray 888, registered in October 2014, was carrying 33 Chinese tourists, one tour guide, one intern and three crew members when it went down.
Fortunately, all passengers were wearing life vests and were quickly rescued from the water.
Several nearby boats, including the Maliwan fishing vessel and the Rhapsody tour boat, rushed to the scene.
Nachapong Pranit, director of the Phuket Regional Harbour Office, said: “The mandatory life jacket policy proved crucial.
“All passengers were wearing life jackets when the emergency occurred, allowing them to stay safely afloat until rescue arrived.”
Several tourists suffered minor injuries and were taken to Chalong Pier where a response team was waiting with translators.
The Chinese consulate was also informed about the incident.
The Amy Ray 888 was operating with a valid license due to expire in April this year, as reported by Need To Know.
The authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the sinking.
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