A FIRE BROKE out in the hull of a passenger boat that was docked for repairs at the Phuket Fish Marketing Organisation’s pier on Monday, Pol Captain Wetchasak Jula-adul of the Muang Phuket precinct said.
There were no injuries, It is suspected that the fire, which occurred at around 1pm and took some 45 minutes to contain, was started by welding sparks hitting a sofa on the boat. Forensic police officers will launch an investigation to determine the real cause later, police said.
The damage to the privately owned vessel, which has the capacity to carry 125 passengers plus six crew members, was initially estimated to be up to Bt5 million. The cost of the damage to a nearby boat is yet to be confirmed, police said.
