NEED TO KNOW
- A tourist boat sank following a collision with a fishing ship on Jan. 11
- At least one person died and 21 others have been injured
- An 18-year-old female tourist has been identified as the deceased individual
At least one person is dead and 21 others are injured after a tourist boat sank following a collision with a fishing ship.
The incident occurred in the Andaman Sea near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand at around 8:55 a.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 11, according to The Bangkok Post, TACC and Thairath Online, which cited the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office in Phuket.
The tourist boat was carrying 52 passengers and three crew members. The person who died was initially in critical condition but later died, per the outlets.
That individual has since been identified as 18-year-old Elizaveta Starykh, a Russian tourist, Thairath Online reported.
The Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment on Jan. 11.
Two rescue boats rushed to the scene and helped passengers and crew members to safety, per The Bangkok Post.
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“According to preliminary information, there were 33 Russian citizens on board the boat, as well as citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and several other countries,” Yegor Ivanov, the Russian Consul General of the Thai island province, said in a statement to TACC.
“Police in Phuket and Krabi are investigating the incident. Consulate General staff, in collaboration with medical personnel, Thai law enforcement agencies, and local authorities, are providing the necessary assistance,” he added.
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The tourist company that owned the tourist boat mainly caters to Russian tourists, a local source told TACC.
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