Cruise ship in hit and run

JAKARTA, 20 March 2017: Indonesia summoned the British ambassador Friday after a cruise ship on a voyage organised by a London-based company smashed into coral reefs in a popular tourist spot and caused extensive damage.

Raja Ampat, in eastern Indonesia, is one of the world’s most biodiverse marine habitats that attracts intrepid travellers and divers to its palm-fringed islands surrounded by coral and fish.

The accident happened this month when the 4,200-ton Caledonian Sky smashed into the reefs at low tide around Kri, one of hundreds of small islands in Raja Ampat, after taking tourists on a bird-watching expedition. Read more

Tourist dies in balloon mishap

ISTANBU, 20 February 2017: A Danish tourist died on Saturday in a fall during a hot-air balloon sightseeing ride over a UNESCO world heritage site in central Turkey, Danish and Turkish officials said.

The Turkish transport ministry said the individual died after “falling from the balloon which made a hard landing because of strong winds”.

The balloon had been making its descent during a trip over the famed sculpted rock formations in Cappadocia in Nevsehir province. Read more

Tourist charged over jetski death

BANGKOK, 10 February 2017: Thai police charged an Australian man, Thursday, with recklessly causing the death of his girlfriend when two jetskis they were riding smashed into each other.

Emily Jayne Collie, a 20-year-old Australian, died Sunday in a horrific collision off the coast of Phuket island.

Her boyfriend Thomas Keating, also in his twenties, was on the other jetski. Read more

Safety mishaps trouble Dreamworld

SYDNEY, 28 October 2016: An Australian theme park defended its safety standards, Thursday, following the deaths of four people on a malfunctioning ride, while admitting it had not been in touch with grieving relatives of those killed.

Two women and two men died when rafts on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the hugely popular Dreamworld tourist attraction on the Gold Coast collided Tuesday, tipping one backwards and crushing or drowning those on board.

A boy and a girl, aged 10 and 12, on the six-person raft miraculously survived the tragedy. Read more

Chao Phraya River boat hits bridge

BANGKOK, 19 September 2016: At least 13 people were killed on Sunday when a boat crowded with passengers sank on Thailand’s Chao Phraya River after hitting a bridge, an emergency response official said.

The accident happened near the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a popular tourist attraction, although no foreigners were believed to be among the dead.

“There are 13 confirmed dead and 33 injured so far,” said Udomsak Khaonoona, disaster prevention chief for the city which is 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok. Read more

Bali tourist boat accident

DENPASAR, 19 September 2016: A Spanish woman on her honeymoon was killed in an explosion on a Bali tourist boat that left another foreigner dead and about 20 injured, officials said Friday.

Police believe the accident was most likely caused by a malfunction in the fuel tank.

The speedboat, carrying about 35 mostly European tourists and a crew of four, had just embarked on a trip to a nearby island when the explosion occurred. Read more

Cruise ship death human error

MARSEILLE, 15 September 2016: Human error was probably to blame for the death of a Filipino crewman on the world’s biggest cruise liner the Harmony of the Seas, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

The 42-year-old electrical engineer was killed on Tuesday when a lifeboat became detached from the liner during a safety drill, sending it plunging 10 metres (35 feet) into the water while the ship was docked in the French port of Marseille.

Marseille prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said the investigation had so far found no sign of “faulty equipment”. Read more

Vietnam reviews waterway rules

HANOI, 28 June 2016: Vietnam will fine passengers who travel on ferries, but fail to wear a life jacket in a move to improve safety.

Tuoi Tre News reported passengers  who fail to wear life jackets when on ferries or cruises will be fined between USD4.5 and USD9, effective 1 July.

According to the Vietnamese government’s new regulations governing waterway traffic, ferry and boat passengers are now in place to tighten safety measures. Read more

Thailand suffers another boat accident

BANGKOK, 9 June 2016: Two Chinese tourists were killed in Thailand, Wednesday, when two speedboats smashed into each other, police said, the second fatal boating accident involving tourists in less than two weeks.

Tourism is a key source of revenue for Thailand, but accidents involving travellers are common in a country where safety regulations are often weakly enforced.

Investigators said three other Chinese nationals were in critical condition following the collision near Phi Phi island, one of southern Thailand’s most popular beach destinations. Read more

Thai boat accident kills four tourists

BANGKOK, 30 May 2016: The body of a British man missing for four days after a tourist speedboat crashed in southern Thailand was found Sunday on rocks close to where the boat went down, bringing the death toll to four.

The vessel, which was carrying 32 tourists plus four crew, capsized Thursday afternoon after it was slammed by a wave near a rocky stretch of coast off Samui Island, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand.

The accident threw all of the passengers overboard, trapping some under the ship’s hull. Read more

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