SHIP INFERNO Terrified tourists leap overboard from burning ferry heading to Thailand’s ‘Death Island’ as more than 100 rescued
PANICKED tourists leapt overboard after a ferry heading to Thailand's notorious Death Island caught fire.
Dozens of backpackers were crammed onto the Ko Jaroen 2 ferry when a blaze erupted in its engine room at around 6.30am local time.
Dramatic footage shows thick black smoke engulfing the vessel, which was heading to Koh Tao, while terrified passengers waited for rescue.
Some desperate tourists decided to jump overboard to escape the inferno.
Police and coast guards saved the 97 tourists and 11 crew members onboard before the fire swallowed the ferry's bow.
A number of passengers were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.Police Colonel Chokchai Sutthimek, superintendent of the Koh Tao Police Station, said: "The vessel involved was the Ko Jaroen 2, a night ferry that also serves as a cargo boat.
"It was bound for Koh Tao and left the pier from Surat Thani at 11 pm last night."
"At the time of the incident, there were 97 passengers, including Thai and foreign nationals, as well as 11 Burmese boat crew, along with cargo onboard.
"The fire originated in the engine room while the boat was mid-sea and approaching the pier at Koh Tao, causing panic among passengers, some of whom jumped overboard.
"After receiving the report from authorities and boat operators at Koh Tao, we swiftly dispatched a rescue boat to evacuate all passengers and crew back to the coast.
"Some of them suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation."
Officers said that all 108 people were safely returned to shore while authorities were towing the Ko Jaroen 2 back to pier.
An investigation has now been launched to determine the cause of the fire.
Just two days ago, a holiday liveaboard boat was also engulfed in flames in southern Thailand.
The diving vessel Seaworld 1 was ravaged by the flames while it was approaching the Thap Lamu Pier in Phang Nga province on April 2.
No injuries were reported as only one person, who managed to jump into the water to escape, was onboard at the time.
Koh Tao was dubbed Death Island following a string of mysterious tourist deaths.
Victims include British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller whose battered bodies were found at a beach in 2014.
Thailand's Death Island
The idyllic Koh Tao island was branded the "Death Island
Several young Brits who chose to holiday on the island are among the victims.
Devastated families opened up to the Sky documentary, Death On The Beach, saying they believe Thai police covered up what happened to their loved ones.
The Tuwichian family - who are “like the Mafia” in Koh Tao - have always denied playing any part in these deaths but many parents are not convinced.
The battered bodies of backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found at a popular beach in 2014.
Hannah, 23, from Norfolk, had been raped and bludgeoned to death while David 24, from Jersey, suffered head injuries.
Burmese bar workers, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 29, have been jailed for life for the murders.
They initially confessed to the killings but then retracted their statements saying they were tortured.
A year later, 23-year-old Christina Annesley was found dead in her bungalow.
Brit Ben Harrington died on the island in 2012 - as well as British backpackers Nick Pearson and Luke Miller.
Other victims include Belgian Elise Dellemange, Swiss Hans Peter Suter and French Dimitri Povse.
German Bernd Grotsch, 47, was found dead at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao while Russian Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel in 2017.
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