CroisiEurope ship runs aground in Thailand
NewsMore than 100 cruise passengers were rescued off Phi Phi Island in Thailand after the ship ran aground when it hit a rock pile.
The French vessel La Belle Des Oceans which was recently acquired by French brand CroisiEurope, was sailing from Koh Lanta to Phuket.
A Thai navy ship, the HTMS Sriracha sailed to the ship which had a damaged hull and was taking onboard water.
A local fisherman was the first to arrive at the stricken vessel and said no one onboard was hurt.
“I had just left the shore when I saw the cruise ship stuck on rocks, it was in the route to my area of fishing,” he said.
“I asked to help them but they told me that they had already contacted the navy so I checked with them that all the passengers were fine. Then I left because there was nothing more I could do.”
The navy ship dragged the ship off the rocks and to the nearest pier.
Vice Admiral Choenghai Choengchompat said: “The passengers are all safe and we will question the cruise ship captain about the crash again later.”
The La Belle Des Oceans was built in 1989 and had left Singapore last month. It visited Malaysia and Thailand and was due to sail to India and Greece by March.
