Phuket: Marine authorities were racing against time last night to find 49 people missing at sea from one of two boats which capsized in strong seas off the coast of the island province early last evening.
Two Russian tourists on jet skis were also reported missing near Koh Racha although they were later rescued.
However, rescuers reportedly found a body strapped to a life jacket floating near the area where the boats had sunk. The authorities were identifying the body.
Phuket governor Norapat Plodthong said 49 people were missing from a dive boat called Phoenix which was carrying 97 passengers. The boat sank near Koh Heh. Most of the missing passengers were Chinese tourists. They also included a number of Russians.
Also a yacht named Sereniga carrying 39 passengers as well as two crew members went down between Koh Heh and Koh Mai Thon. All the passengers have been rescued.
The two jet-skiing Russians were also located hours after they were reported missing and brought to shore.
The provincial governor said the Phuket provincial office and authorities would work all night to find those missing.
The governor said the Third Fleet had sent three patrol boats to look for the missing passengers. They were joined by the patrol vessels from the marine police and speed boats sent by the Marine Department.
Many fishing boats in the area also were out looking for the Phoenix passengers.
It was reported some passengers from the Phoenix were plucked out of the water by the crew of a fishing trawler. Others were brought in by naval ships to a pier in Ao Makham.
Mr Norapat said the rescue operation would not stop until the missing were found. The governor was directing the rescue work from the Ao Chalong boat pier. Mr Norapat rushed to the pier after confirming the two boats had sunk.
Mr Norapat said marine officials reported the boats had gone down due to rough seas whipped up by a violent storm. He said it was possible the boat had defied warnings about fierce weather activity in the early evening.
Most of the 112 rescued passengers were brought to Wachira Phuket Hospital. No reports were available about their condition. Seas in the area where the boats had sunk were as high as three metres, according to the local weather bureau.
More than 10 passenger boats with 263 pepople were stranded in Koh Racha last night as the provincial office issued an order for small boats to stay ashore.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department yesterday issued a warning of cloudy conditions with scattered thundershowers and isolated heavy rain in Ranong, Phangnga and Phuket.
In Phuket, southwesterly winds are blowing at 20-40 km/hr and waves have reached heights of 2-3 metres, the weather office said.
It also said a strong southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf with outbreaks of thundershowers and isolated heavy rain likely over the East and the South while isolated rain is likely in the East and the South.
