A unusual storm off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Sunday left a trail of devastation in the sea and two people dead and seven people missing.
At least 12 boats capsized in the Gulf of Thailand as a result of a whirlwind generated by strong winds near Pak Nakhon Bay.
The tornado roared over Pak Nakhon Bay before reaching ashore and wreaking havoc in three districts: Pak Phanang, Muang, and Tha Sala, according to authorities in the southern province on Sunday evening.
Anusorn Maneewong, a 30-year-old local fisherman, was found dead after his long-tail boat capsized in the bay.Five more individuals were pulled from the ocean, according to the Nakhon Si Thammarat Rescue Foundation, while a 60-year-old fisherman was still missing.
As of Sunday evening, Pak Phanang police reported that at least 12 boats had sunk in the storm, but they issued a warning that there may still be additional fatalities, injuries, and stricken boats.
On Sunday night at around 10 p.m., a rescue boat from the Tha Sala Subdistrict Administration Organization overturned while looking for victims in the bay due to heavy winds and waves. The entire crew of four was saved and taken to land without incident.
With the assistance of maritime police boats and a Royal Thai Air Force EC-725 helicopter, the search and rescue operation is still ongoing today (Monday). According to spokesman Air Chief Mashal Praphas Sonjaidee, the plane would continue to circle the area until all missing fisherman have been located. The Raja 10 ferry also list and sink at the Don Sak pier in Surat Thani province, just north of Pak Nakhon Bay, due to strong winds and waves.
To get to Koh Samui, tourists take the 2,005-tonne ferry. All of the passengers had already boarded the ship, thus there were no injuries from the tragedy. Witchawut Jinto, the governor of Surat Thani, demanded a thorough examination of the ferry before it could set sail once more. The ship had righted itself as of Monday.
The ferry crew, according to Raja Ferry Plc, turned off fuel valves to stop leaks into the water. It also claimed it will look into the accident’s root cause.
According to reports, the ferry was plowed into the pier by large waves, which allowed water to enter the ship’s hull and caused it to tilt.
