BANGKOK, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong said on Friday that a Chinese national died, 53 people were missing, and 94 had been rescued among a total of 148 people on board the three ill-fated boats which capsized in the local rough sea on Thursday.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Songkhla said on Friday that among the missing 53 people, 50 are Chinese tourists. Among the 94 rescued, 76 are Chinese tourists. 11 injured passengers are at local hospitals for medical treatment.
Two boats carrying tourists, mostly Chinese, capsized in the sea at about 5:45 p.m. local time (1045 GMT) on Thursday. A personal water craft carrying two foreign tourists also capsized.
The confirmed victim and 53 missing passengers were all on board the Phoenix tourist boat, which capsized off the Koh He Island of Phuket Province.
The governor said early Friday that a 24-hour rescue command center had been established and the Thai navy would dispatch helicopters to search for the missing.