The fire spread quickly to the other five boats and they also burst into flames. A municipal official who attended the scene said the likely cause of explosions emanating from the boats was their fuel tanks exploding.
The wrecked speedboats were the property of Nikorn Marine, a leading sightseeing and snorkelling tour company. An anonymous source said the value of the boats was in the region of THB20 million. A Nikorn employee was onsite when the first boat exploded in a ball of flame and sustained minor injuries in a valiant attempt to extinguish the blaze.
The local fire-brigade arrived with 10 fire-engines shortly after the alarm was raised and spent nearly two hours putting the fires out. Police crime scene investigators spent yesterday looking for the source of the fire.
The photograph of Chalong Pier has been supplied by Stuart McDonald and shows it on an average day when visitors embark on daytrips or diving and snorkelling excursions.
Blaze engulfs tour boats at Phuket Chalong Pier
News in Asia
Police on southern Phuket Island are sifting through the debris of six speedboats incinerated during an early morning blaze yesterday. The fire broke out at about 03:00 at Chalong Pier when one of the boats erupted in a ball of flame.