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SCMP’s Asia desk

A British woman died in a fire on a dive boat off Koh Tao, Thailand, on Sunday. She was reportedly inside the toilet when the blaze started.
Alexandra Clarke, 26, was aboard the Davy Jones Locker when she died, Surat Thani province police chief Major General Sermphan Sirikhong told reporters.
The boat was taking 22 people – including tourists, scuba instructors and boat crew – to the Southwest Pinnacle, a popular dive site about 9km (5.6 miles) from the island of Koh Tao, the Bangkok Post reported.
Witnesses, including the boat captain and crew, recounted that Clarke had asked to surface from her dive to use the bathroom, according to local news outlet Khaosod. She was believed to be still inside the toilet when the fire broke out, just moments before a distress signal was sent at 9.25am local time.

Initial investigations revealed that a crew member from Myanmar – identified only as Tae, 48 – was filling diving tanks with compressed air when the equipment malfunctioned, triggering the fire that engulfed the boat.
While private vessels and volunteers successfully evacuated the passengers, a second group worked to extinguish the flames. Thai authorities then discovered Clarke was missing. Her body was later recovered from the fire-damaged boat.
Footage shows a large wooden cabin on the boat ablaze as stunned holidaymakers on nearby vessels looked on in horror.
Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, deputy director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre of Surat Thani, said the fire started in the engine room and “spread through the boat rapidly”.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain’s cabin and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation,” he added.
Rescue teams reportedly faced significant challenges in approaching the boat due to the intense flames and concerns about explosions. Although officials initially planned to tow the vessel to shore for a comprehensive investigation, the boat ultimately sank.
In response, the Regional Harbour Office of Koh Phangan has ordered Davy Jones Locker Company to recover the wreck and submit a detailed operational plan within 15 days.


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British woman trapped in toilet dies in Thai dive boat fire

The Davy Jones Locker dive boat is seen ablaze off the coast of Koh Tao, Thailand, on Sunday. Photo: Facebook/ThailandRescueDiver2

Stunned holidaymakers on nearby vessels looked on in horror as the dive boat burned. Photo: Handout

Tourists pictured on a beach on Koh Tao. Photo: Reuters

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A crew member was reportedly filling diving tanks with oxygen when the equipment malfunctioned and fire engulfed the boat


A crew member was reportedly filling diving tanks with oxygen when the equipment malfunctioned and fire engulfed the boat.


Tourism