AP – Two Cambodian sailors abandoned their boat with 41 Chinese on board as it sank in the Gulf of Thailand. It left at least one person dead and more than 20 missing, officials said today.
A small fishing boat sank near Cambodia’s Koh Tang early Thursday morning, and video footage taken from the lifeboat showed people on board crowded at the bow as the stern began to sink into the water
Rescuers shouted to the victims that help was coming. and throw life jackets and life buoys towards the ship which is slowly Tilting to the right and sinking below the surface. Resulting in passengers falling into the water as well.
Authorities have rescued 18 victims and 23 are reported missing, and on Friday found an additional male survivor and one female dead, a provincial office spokesman said.
Photos from local police show a group of rescued people standing on a pier on the Cambodian coast dressed in brightly colored clothing. It is not clear if they got these clothes after being rescued from the water.
The police chief told local media that the passengers left the Chinese port of Guangzhou on September 11 in speedboats. and was sent to a Cambodian fishing boat in international waters on September 17
As the ship approached its destination in Sihanoukville, the boat’s engines stopped working and it began to sink. Another Cambodian ship then arrived and rescued two Cambodian crew members and left the Chinese passengers to fend for themselves.
The two Cambodians have been arrested and are being investigated by the police.
However, until now it is not clear why the Chinese were brought to Cambodia. But the deputy commissioner of the National Police said last month that During this past year authorities have uncovered a number of illegal online movements that attract workers to the country.
of the recent crackdown on illegal activities Malaysia’s foreign minister said he had taken 24 citizens back to the country. after they were rescued from a human trafficking gang. and last month Taiwan says it has a total of 333 citizens stranded in Cambodia. After being lured by a gang of scammers with the promise of high pay for tech jobs.
In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters that the government was working closely with Cambodian authorities on the incident.
“We urge the Cambodian side not to neglect their efforts to find and rescue the missing and to find out what happened,” said a ministry spokesman.
Cambodian officials have requested assistance from private boat operators in the area. and announced a $500 reward for each passenger’s helper.
One survivor told authorities there were 38 men and three women on board when the ship began to sink at 10:30am on Thursday.
As for those who were rescued from this incident Officers were taken to a nearby Cambodian naval base.
