A major rescue operation was sparked after a packed tourist speedboat collided head-on with a fishing trawler off the popular Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. All 52 tourists and three crew on the Korawich Marine 888 were thrown into the sea.
Initial reports say one tourist – a woman, 18, believed to be from Russia – died despite frantic efforts to revive her by medics. Witnesses described scenes of panic early on Sunday (January 11) as passengers shouted and scrambled to help family members and fellow tourists stay afloat. “People were screaming and holding onto each other. Some were pulling their loved ones out of the water,” one said, while a stricken passenger shouted: “What the hell are you doing?”
The front of the speedboat was torn off from the impact of the collision, causing it to overturn and sink in the Andaman Sea. The accident happened near Koh Gai (also known as Koh Kai) Island, close to the Phi Phi Islands, in waters between Phuket and Krabi, according to Thai authorities and local media.
Reports said that all those on the stricken tourist vessel were rapidly plucked from the sea and taken to the shore. However, there were at least a dozen injuries among the tourists.
One was initially reported in a critical condition and was rushed to Phi Phi Hospital. A later report said a Russian woman, Elizaveta S, 18, had died. The remaining injured were treated by paramedics and transferred to hospitals in Phuket for further observation.
Initial reports indicated that many of those on board were Russian-speaking.
Thai officials stated that the fishing trawler Pichai Samut 1 was not damaged, while the speedboat suffered a catastrophic structural failure. No oil spill or environmental damage was reported.
The authorities are investigating the cause of the collision, including speed, visibility, and navigation practices at the time of the crash.
Thailand’s southern Andaman coast is one of the country’s busiest tourist boating areas, particularly during the peak winter season, with dozens of speedboats operating daily between Phuket, Krabi and the Phi Phi Islands.
Although the collision occurred in Krabi Province waters, Phuket-based rescue and medical units were mobilised due to proximity and capacity. The nationalities of all passengers have not yet been formally released, but Russian-language media reported that Russian-speaking tourists were among those on board.
It later emerged that 22 people were injured in the Thai speedboat horror, in addition to the death of a Russian woman aged 18. Among the wounded were 19 foreign tourists and three crew from Thailand.
The Russian consulate-general in Phuket, Yegor Ivanov, confirmed the death of the Russian woman.
“The Consulate General has received information about the death of a Russian citizen,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate the circumstances of this incident.”