Hunt on for 4 missing in capsize
TAK: The search continued yesterday for four missing people, one adult and three children, travelling in a small passenger boat on the Moei River at the Thai-Myanmar border, local officials said.
The boat capsized in an area of the river near Ban Mae Lo Tha village in the province’s Tha Song Yang district late on Tuesday evening, said a source.
Prior to the accident, there were about 10 people travelling in the boat including six children, said the source. The others were plucked safely from the water but fears were growing over the fate of the others as so much time had elapsed. It is not known if anyone was wearing life jackets or what might have led to the accident.
The location where the boat capsized on Tuesday was in the same area where a major boat capsize took place just last year, he said. The boat was journeying from a village in Myanmar.
Six people survived Tuesday’s incident while the four who are still missing have been identified as the male driver of the boat, one boy and two girls.
One of the two missing girls is believed to be Nawaporn Phraiboonsri, 11, a resident of Tha Song Yang district whose father is a Thai national and mother a Karen woman living in a Karen shelter in the district, said the source.
The girl is believed to be the only Thai involved as the other victims are all thought to be Myanmar nationals. No sign of the four missing victims were found during yesterday’s search. The hunt was carried out by a combined team of local Thai police officers, rescue workers and local administrative officials.