Phuket: Phuket fishing boat scuttled after blaze

Phuket, Thailand:

Monday, February 8, 2010

Phuket fishing boat scuttled after blaze

The fire aboard Pichaithavorn 6 this morning.

The condition of the vessel before it was towed away from other boats and sunk.

RASSADA, PHUKET: A wooden fishing boat that burst into flames during repair work this morning was deliberately sunk in the waters of Klong Tha Cheen.

After receiving a report of a boat fire at about 9:30am, Phuket City Police, Marine Police and four fire engines from Rassada Municipality and Phuket City Municipality rushed to the scene.

Arriving at the Pichai Fish Pier along Klong Tha Jeen in Rassada, they found the 17-meter vessel Pichaithavorn 6 engulfed in flames.

Strong winds and the location of the boat made it difficult for firefighters to put out the blaze, so after a two-hour battle and with the boat almost completely gutted the decision was made to scuttle the vessel.

Initial investigation revealed that the fire began as mechanics were performing maintenance on the vessel�s exhaust pipe.

Ungkoon Buraphakhunakorn, Maintenance Manager of P Pichainawa Company that owned the vessel, said the fire started accidentally as mechanics were working near the boat�s 700-liter fuel tanks.

He said it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage.

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