Thai boat disaster: 5 might be alive among 11 missing

Rescuers work near Tham Luang cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, July 8, 2018. (Photo/Agencies)

Five passengers among the 11 missing passengers in the Phuket boat accident might "still be alive," but their identities need to be verified, according to the latest morning briefing by Thai officials. 

The fate of the other six passengers remains unclear, the officials said, and put the death toll still at 41. 

The search and rescue operation continues. Local authorities have set up liaison stations and a service center to help family members of the dead and injured with aftercare issues. 

On Sunday afternoon, Chinese consul-general in Songkhla Zhou Haicheng visited families of the deceased at a local hospital.

July 8 (Updated at 1:40 p.m. BJT)

41 Chinese nationals have been confirmed dead after two ships carrying mostly Chinese passengers capsized off southern Thailand's Phuket island.

At least 42 people, including 41 Chinese nationals, were killed, and 14 remain missing, Thai authorities confirmed at a news conference on Sunday, adding that one body was spotted inside the hull but has not yet been recovered.

Updated at 1:00 p.m. BJT

Search and rescue operations are still underway after two boats capsized in a storm off southern Thailand's Phuket island on Thursday night, killing at least 42 people. 

Two Chinese rescue teams, one from the Ministry of Transport with 12 members and another from an organization based in east China's Zhejiang Province, arrived in Phuket on Sunday, and joined the search for the missing passengers along with Thai rescuers.

Police on Saturday said they have charged the captain of the sunken ship Phoenix with negligence leading to damages, injury and death.

The captain, who was not identified by the police, has denied the charges.

The Thai government will spare no effort in investigating the cause of the incident and will keep searching for the missing tourists, officials said at a press conference held on Sunday.

Updated at 12:10 p.m. BJT

Preparations are underway to lift a sunken tourist boat that capsized in a storm off southern Thailand's Phuket island, killing at least 42 people.

The Phoenix – which had 105 people on board, including 93 Chinese tourists and 12 Thai crew – went down in rough seas on Thursday evening, in one of Thailand's worst recent accidents.

According to Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong, 14 people are still unaccounted for.

Divers have been searching inside the submerged vessel for survivors. Helicopters have also joined the search.

Search and rescue efforts have been boosted after a Chinese team joined the operations, said the governor. 

Friends and relatives of the injured and deceased on Sunday began arriving in Phuket to identify their loved ones.

The Phoenix overturned in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Ko He, a popular one-day trip from Phuket.

A second boat carrying 42 passengers, also mainly Chinese nationals, capsized on Thursday evening, but all people on board were rescued.