12-yr-old Israeli girl dies in Thai ferry fire

Bangkok, April 9: A day after a tourist boat sank in flames in Thailand, a 12-year-old Israeli girl was found dead, the only fatality in the accident as around 115 passengers, mostly foreigners, were rescued.

The rescue workers today found the body of Shani Maril trapped in the bathroom of the ferry which exploded and sank yesterday off the coast of country's southwest Krabi province. The rest of around 115 passengers, mostly foreigners, were rescued, officials said today.

More than 100 people, including foreign tourists, jumped into water and were saved by rescue teams when the engine of the boat exploded, burning the boat. Supatcharapong Vorapradit, the Krabi defence chief, said the search team found Maril in the ferry wreckage, about 100 metres from where the tourist ferry sank.

Maril was believed to have been in a toilet near the engine room when the passengers were rescued from the burning ferry, a police spokesman told Jor Sor 100 radio last night. Krabi police had said the Israeli girl was listed as missing.

All the passengers, mostly foreigners were rescued from the ferry

Media reported that the girl was traveling with her family, who were waiting in Krabi for information about her. Her family have been informed. The 35-metre 'Ao Nang Princess 5' tourist boat was carrying 115 passengers including 8 children.

It was about eight kilometres off Railay beach near Ao Nang when the fire began about 3.30 PM local time in the engine room at the rear of the ferry.

The search operation was called off due to strong currents and darkness yesterday afternoon but resumed this morning.

Among those safely rescued from the sea were nationals from the UK, the US, Switzerland and China.

PTI