At least 13 dead in Thailand as tourist boat capsizes

Rescue workers continue search for dozens missing near tourist city of Ayutthaya

Thai officials and bystanders gather alongside bodies recovered by rescue workers from a capsized ferry after a collision which has so far left 13 dead. Photograph: Daily News/AFP/Getty Images
Thai officials and bystanders gather alongside bodies recovered by rescue workers from a capsized ferry after a collision which has so far left 13 dead. Photograph: Daily News/AFP/Getty Images

At least 13 people have died and dozens are missing in Thailand after a boat carrying 150 Thai Muslims capsized in the ancient tourist city of Ayutthaya, officials said on Sunday.

The accident took place on the Chao Phraya river in Ayutthaya, a Unesco World Heritage site located some 80km (43 miles) north of the Thai capital Bangkok.

At least 37 were injured and many are still missing as rescue workers continue to search for survivors.

The dead include seven women, four men and at least one child.

The passengers were on their way back from a religious activity when the double-decker boat hit the bank of the river before sinking, said district chief Suchon Phaitirat.

– (Reuters)

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