A ferry crowded with tourists in Thailand capsized on Sunday, leaving six travelers dead and the rest of the nearly 200 passengers on board visibly shaken.
According to the Associated Press, the double-decker ferry was transporting Thai and foreign visitors from the island of Lan to the resort town of Pattaya on Sunday night. Police Col. Suwan Cheawnavinthavat told AP that the trip, which was scheduled to take about 30 minutes, but shortly after the boat left the docks, a problem with the engine developed. When passengers on the first deck realized the ferry's motor was awry, they fled to the second floor, tipping the ferry onto its side and subsequently causing it to sink in the water.
"Witnesses said there were neither enough tubes nor life vests on the ferry," Suwan told AP in a phone interview. "Some of those who cannot swim had to cling onto coolers or ice containers until the rescuers came."
Among the deceased were a Russian man, a Russian woman and a Chinese man, AP reported. Three Thais - two women and a man - also drowned to death after the boat capsized. The remaining passengers were rescued. One boy, a 12-year-old Russian tourist, was hospitalized in an intensive care unit. There were no reports of other passengers being hospitalized.
Suwan claimed that the ferry was too crowded, surpassing its capacity of between 130 to 150 occupants by around 50 passengers.
Although the exact cause of the capsize is not yet known, Suwan said that police are in the midst of questioning the ferry driver as part of the investigation.
Tourists visiting the popular destination of Pattaya often travel to Lan island for daytrips.
