By Thai Newsroom and Amarin TV
FORENSIC officers are investigating the cause of a big fire that gutted 22 speedboats at Phuket’s Chalong Bay pier this morning (Jan. 7) with total damage estimated at 38 million baht.
Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn praised all agencies for swiftly putting out the blaze with service at this busy pier back to normal.
Over a thousand boats were waiting to offer service at this pier and failure to control the situation quickly could have impacted Phuket’s tourism industry.
The Chalong Subdistrict Municipality is expediting the cleanup of the area, including removing the wreckage, ash and oil spills. The operation must be completed within 24 hours to minimise environmental impact and ensure maritime safety.
In addition, the Phuket Provincial Office of the Insurance Commission, police officers, and the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office have coordinated efforts to establish a reporting point for insurance claims and provide assistance to those affected.
Mr. Adul Chuthong, Phuket’s deputy governor, said that upon being alerted of the fire, he ordered relevant agencies to immediately control the situation. Initial investigation based on eyewitness statements and local officials’ accounts indicate that the fire originated from an explosion and fire on one speedboat, before sea breeze carried sparks to other speedboats docked nearby. The fire spread rapidly, destroying 22 of these speedboats.
During the blaze rescue workers, along with Disaster Prevention and Mitigation personnel from Chalong, Rawai, Wichit, and Karon municipalities, as well as the Phuket Provincial Administration’s Pearl Centre and other relevant agencies, mobilised fire trucks and firefighters to urgently spray water to contain the blaze. They used other methods too including cutting the moorings and separating the boats to prevent the fire from spreading but unfortunately the low tide hampered firefighting efforts.
Additionally, Phuket Marine Department was ordered to provide foam to prevent oil from spreading in the sea.
CAPTION:
Speedboats gutted by fire at Chalong Bay pier. Photos on this page – Amarin TV, Front Page photo – Thai Rath
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