Thailand Boat Accident: Chinese tourist recounts harrowing experience

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02:44

Meanwhile, a survivor of the accident gave an exclusive interview to CGTN's Martin Lowe. He described the tragic moment when four of his family members and friends were killed.

Junsiong came to Thailand from southern China for a holiday in the sun with his family and friends. Now four of them are dead: he is in hospital. His brother, sister and two classmates were lost when the Thai pleasure cruiser Phoenix was slammed by five meter waves and sent to the bottom of the Andaman Sea.

HUANG JUNSIONG SURVIVOR "The waves were really high and stormy, they were hitting the boat constantly. I was with my sister, brother and two friends from school – all of them are dead. I feel terrible."

A total of 38 survivors have been treated here at Phuket Provincial Hospital. Dozens more are confirmed dead, with many people still unaccounted for that figure is expected to rise. Almost all are Chinese.

HUANG JUNSIONG SURVIVOR "I only broke my hand. I was climbing up to the top of the boat but stuff was flying around everywhere. A big piece of glass hit me."

A team of specialist divers from China's Ministry of Transport at Guangzhou have joined the rescue mission, as well as another group of experts from east China. China's ambassador to Thailand Lyu Jian is on site and is being kept advised.

Rescuers who braved the raging storm which overcame a number of vessels near the holiday island of Phuket on Thursday, took these dramatic pictures. People were literally plucked from the sea by an armada of private craft that went to their aid. A search for survivors is continuing, along with the recovery of those who died and the grim task of identification.

ARCHAYON KRAITHONG ROYAL THAI POLICE "Maybe the body has been found with a passport or we have taken a photo of the body in the hospital waiting for the relatives and anyone who knows and can identify the body and can match with the name and surname and with the embassy of the victim."

Teams of divers are descending to the wreck of the Phoenix, which lies in 40 meters of water.

MARTIN LOWE PHUKET "An investigation to determine how this tragic accident could have happened has already begun – questions such as 'why did the boat put to sea when bad weather was forecast'."

Those in hospital include men, women and children, the youngest is a girl aged just seven. Junsiong may have survived but doesn't consider himself amongst the fortunate. He is struggling to come to terms with his desperate loss. Martin Lowe CGTN Phuket.