B10mn damage sustained as blaze guts luxury yacht
The Phuket Marine Office has ordered for the catamaran that caught fire at Yacht Haven Marina last weekend to be salvaged so officers can continue their investigation into the cause of the fire.
The 12-metre catamaran ‘Jimmy Blue’ was gutted by a fire and sank at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina in Thalang last Saturday (Apr 23).
The fire was reported about 1pm, said Pol Lt Col Sornthip Chukaew of the Tha Chatchai Police.
Firefighters and civilians helped put out the flames, which spread from the stern to the bow. By the time the fire had been doused the boat was partially sunk, with only the prow of the vessel above water.
There were no people on board when the fire started, and no casualties were reported.
Oil boom barriers were placed in the water to prevent potential oil spills.
The catamaran can carry up to 17 people ‒ 14 passengers and three crew members. It was permitted to sail in local waters between Ranong and Satun provinces after receiving a licence in 2014.
Phuket Marine Office Director Nachaphong Pranit later clarified that was estimated to be about B10 million.
The boat had been berthed at the marina for “a long time”, Mr Nachaphong said.
“The cause [of the fire] appeared to be a short circuit from a 220-volt power supply that was connected to the boat and the switch was still on,” he said.
“The condition of the boat indicates that it has not been used for a long time.
The boat was registered in 2014 and was recorded as worth about B16mn at the time. It was used for tours for about seven years. It is estimated that the damage should be no more than B10mn,” he added.
The boat was moved away from its berth at the marina for safety. The boat will be salvaged and taken to the Premier Boat Yard in Mai Khao, Mr Nachaphong said.
Officers are continuing their investigation, Mr Nachaphong added.
“We have confirmed with the marina manager that the person responsible was at the scene within an appropriate time. The person attempted to extinguish the fire, but was unable to, despite using fire extinguishers from the boat and provided by the marina,” he said.
“However, the yacht and marina managers will be invited to answer more questions about the fire. This is to fully understand what happened so we can aim to prevent any similar incidents in the future,” Mr Nachaphong said.