Dozens of ferry passengers jumped into the sea after it caught fire
Maitree Promjampa via AP
- Around 100 people were on board a ferry that caught fire in Thailand.
- Boats couldn't get close enough to rescue them, so people jumped into the water.
- Everybody was rescued with only minor injuries reported.
A ferry with around 100 people on board caught fire on its way to a popular tourist destination in Thailand early Thursday.
Passengers jumped into the sea to escape the flames, and everybody was rescued, the Associated Press reported.
Videos obtained by the news agency show people wearing life jackets as the fire spreads through the vessel.
The overnight ferry was traveling from Surat Thani to the island of Koh Tao and was close to its destination when the fire was reported.
Maitree Promjampa, one of the passengers, told the AP: "We could barely get the life vests in time."
"It was chaotic. People were weeping," he added. "I also teared up."
Promjampa said that several boats came to rescue them after 20 minutes, but they couldn't get close enough due to fears of an explosion.
So people had to jump into the sea to be rescued, he added.
Local police said there were 97 passengers on the ferry and 11 crew members, per the Bangkok Post.
The Post reported that the fire started in the engine room, and the cause is being investigated.
Koh Tao is a popular tourist destination, and tourism plays a major role in the Thai economy. The government said it was aiming to reach 29 million foreign visitors in 2023, nearly three-quarters of the record number of tourists that visited in 2019, per Reuters.