All but 2 of the passengers on the speedboat that crashed into a pillar near Chalong Pier in Phuket have been injured. According to an update from the Phuket Express and Bangkok Post, the number of injured people stands at 35, with all passengers accounted for. Earlier media reports had stated there was 1 person missing.
The injured include Thai, Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakhstani, Chinese and Hong Kong nationals. The speedboat was taking tourists back to Chalong Pier after a trip to the Phi Phi Islands, when it collided at speed with a channel marker in the bay.
A total of 37 people were on board, including 21 Russians, 1 Ukrainian, 9 Kazakhstani, 1 from Hong Kong, 1 from China, and 4 Thais, including the driver, his assistant, and a tour guide. Only 2 people escaped without injury – a Kazakhstani national and a Thai.
According to Chayapong Pranit, chief of the Phuket Marine Office, the Thanathip Marine boat was near Koh Nan, just 500 metres from the pier, when the collision happened. There has been some speculation that the driver, who was also injured, may have fallen asleep.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express | Bangkok Post
