Alexandra Clarke: Fears grow for British tourist missing after boat caught fire in Thailand

A British backpacker is inactive missing aft a occurrence ripped done a diving vessel and sank disconnected the land of Koh Tao successful Thailand.

Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was diving successful the tourer hotspot and had asked guides if she could usage the toilet earlier the blaze broke retired connected committee the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, astatine 9.15am section clip connected Sunday.

There were 22 radical connected committee including 16 tourists participating successful diving activities, 4 diving instructors, a vessel skipper and a unit member. All others connected committee were accounted for.

The vessel driver, a Myanmar unit member, and six tourists who witnessed the occurrence reported to constabulary that Ms Clarke had requested to aboveground from the h2o and entered the toilet facilities connected the boat.

At the clip the occurrence broke out, she was reportedly inactive successful the toilet.

The origin of the occurrence was related to a malfunction which occurred portion the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air, according to reports.

Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started astir 9am section time. An exigency telephone was received soon after.

He said: "The vessel was carrying a radical of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was betwixt 5 and six nautical miles distant from the island.

"A occurrence started successful the motor country and dispersed done the vessel rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with backstage vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and unit members onto different boat.

"Meanwhile, different squad of volunteers worked to power the fire. Preliminary reports bespeak that the motor room, captain's cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The nonstop origin of the occurrence remains nether investigation."

Weather conditions and the spot of the blaze initially made it hard for rescue teams to get adjacent the boat, but it has present been towed to shore.

Koh Tao is simply a fashionable hub for divers and tourists acknowledgment to its reefs and beaches.

The vessel was operating successful an country known arsenic Kong Tum Ku, 5-6 nautical miles from Koh Tao.

When the vas was archetypal evacuated, it was thought that the occurrence could beryllium controlled and it could beryllium towed safely backmost to Ko Tao. But it abruptly sank, according to the Thai Examiner.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the household of a British pistillate who is missing successful Thailand and are successful interaction with section authorities.”