British tourist missing after Thailand boat fire

A British tourist is missing in Thailand after a boat caught fire and sank off the coast of the island of Koh Tao.

The Surat Thani Provincial Public Relations Office said 26-year-old Alexandra Clarke from Lambeth, south London, was on board when the fire occurred in the ship's engine room after 09:00 ITC (02:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Koh Tao Police said it believed the boat's fuel tank overflowed when it was refilled during the journey, then set alight. Officers have charged the captain and crew with negligence.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities."

The provincial office's Facebook post said: "After receiving the report (of the fire), the Surat Thani Provincial Marine Office coordinated with private boats and volunteers to quickly help evacuate tourists and crew to another boat safely."

It added: "One tourist is missing, a female named Alexandra Clarke, a British national.

"The authorities therefore organised a search team for the missing person."

Thai navy divers spent the day searching the wreckage of the boat and the surrounding seas but found no trace of the missing woman, who police said was thought to have been in the boat's toilet when the fire broke out.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation but according to police, it broke out when an engine used to compress air into a fuel tank ran out during a trip to a popular dive spot in the Gulf of Thailand.

Col Sarayuth Buriwachira from Koh Tao Police said the tourists and diving instructors had been taken to the Southwest Pinnacle at about 07:30.

He said that at about 10:00 "an employee on the ship whose duty was to fill the air tank took extra gasoline to fill the engine tank above the amount until the gasoline overflowed and spilled".

"When he started the engine, a spark occurred, causing the engine to catch fire and spread, causing the entire ship to burn and eventually sink into the sea."

The fire spread quickly, he added, engulfing the engine room and forcing the divers, instructors and crew to jump into the sea.

He confirmed the search for Ms Clarke would resume on Tuesday morning.

The Thai government has frequently promised to improve maritime safety, in particular after 46 Chinese tourists died seven years ago when their boat capsized near Phuket, yet there have been several fatal accidents since then.

Last year more than 100 passengers had to leap into the sea from a ferry heading to Koh Tao after it was consumed by a fire.

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