Plan to finally raise ‘Raja 4’

SURAT THANI: The salvage operation for the vehicle ferry that sank off Koh Samui during a storm last month, killing five people, will begin this weekend.

The operator, Raja Ferry, said the raising of the vessel, the Raja 4, from the seabed would begin today and was expected to take three days.

The last of the three trucks that went down with the ferry, and their loads of compressed rubbish and electronic waste, had been hauled from the bottom of the sea, the company said. The Raja 4 was en route from Koh Samui to the mainland when it sank in stormy seas on the night of Aug 1.

Eleven of those on board were rescued but five died, with the final body being found only after a weeklong search by divers. A maritime investigation is underway.