One person has gone missing while another six were injured after a tour boat collided with a pleasure craft off the east coast of Phuket, Thailand, on Wednesday, December 18.
The incident occurred at approximately 16:00 local time when the tour boat Supasarn struck an unnamed yacht in an area near the Koh Khai islands.
The collision sent one of the tour boat's crew falling into the water. This individual was still missing when a marine rescue team arrived at the scene to render assistance to those on the distressed vessels.
The crash had also left six people with varying degrees of injury. Five were passengers on Supasarn while the sixth injured person, who had suffered a broken leg, was a passenger on the yacht.
Among the tour boat's passengers at the time of the incident were Russian nationals who were on holiday in Thailand.
Medical personnel from the country's Kusoldharm Foundation and the Phuket Provincial Hospital were waiting at the Phuket coastal town of Koh Sirey when the injured individuals were brought ashore by the marine rescue team later on Wednesday.
Those who had suffered serious injuries in the crash, including one who required immediate CPR, were rushed to hospital while the remainder were treated at Koh Sirey.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident as the search continues for the tour boat's missing crewmember.
Thai news outlet The Thaiger reports that no trace of this individual has yet been found as of 08:00 local time on Thursday, December 19.
