AYUTTHAYA, Thailand, Sept. 18 (UPI) — At least 13 people are dead after a pilgrim boat carrying a mostly Muslim crowd hit a bridge and capsized Sunday in the Thai city of Ayutthaya.
Many more are still missing, BBC reported.
The dead include at least one child.
The double-deck boat was traveling along the Chao Phraya River about 4 p.m. with 150 people on board when the crash occurred near the Wat Sanam Chai temple, a popular tourist destination. Passengers were traveling back to Nonthaburi, a suburb of Bangkok, after attending an Islamic event, the Bangkok Post reported.
Sornsak Sansombat, director-general of the Marine Department, said the river’s current was strong at the time of the crash. He said police have detained the ferry’s captain to question him.
Both car and boat accidents are common in Thailand due to safety standards that are far less strict than those in many international locations. The river the boat was traveling is a busy commuter waterway and is often packed with boats.
