Tourists killed after storm capsizes Phuket boat
Latest reports say 21 people have died and dozens more are still missing after a boat capsized off the Thai island of Phuket.
The boat went down in stormy seas as it returned to Phuket from the island of Koh Racha late on Thursday afternoon with 105 on board, many of them Chinese tourists.
Search and rescue operations were suspended overnight but resumed on Friday morning.
Nearly 50 passengers were rescued by a fishing trawler on Thursday.
A second boat, carrying mostly European passengers, overturned at about the same time but all 39 on board were rescued.
An investigation has been ordered into why the tourist boats went out despite severe weather warnings.
Thailand is bracing for the arrival of the monsoon season.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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