A British backpacker is missing after a fire broke out on a diving boat near the Thai island of Koh Tao.
Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was reportedly in the bathroom at the back of the vessel when flames erupted from the engine room.
The blaze started at 9.15am local time on Sunday on the wooden boat - named Davy Jones's Locker - while search and rescue operations are continuing in challenging sea conditions.
The vessel was carrying 22 people, including 16 tourists, according to officials.
The blaze started at 9.15am local time on Sunday on the wooden boat
SURAT THANI PROVINCIAL PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
Some 15 tourists were evacuated to another boat, along with two crew members and four diving instructors and assistants.
Photos show large plumes of smoke billowing across the sky as neighbouring boats watched on.
The vessel was reportedly transporting tourists from Koh Tao to a diving site at Southwest Pinnacle.
After the fire was extinguished, authorities conducted a thorough search - and discovered one person was missing.
Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, deputy director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said: "A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly."
While Lieutenant Colonel Nattapol Sinpunphol, deputy director of the Surat Thani Marine Department, added: "The search is continuing for one missing tourist, a female, Alexandra Clarke, from the United Kingdom."
TRAGEDY AT SEA - READ MORE:
- Diver recalls facing 'impending death' while stranded on North Sea bed after oxygen supply was cut off: 'I was a very lucky boy'
- Tourist boat in Turkey engulfed in flames as visitors scramble into water to escape blazing inferno
- North Sea collision: Russian cargo ship captain charged with gross negligence manslaughter as dead crew member named
"The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents. All boats in the area have been notified. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised."
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities."
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The engine room, captain's cabin and rear restroom were damaged in the blaze.
Thai officials coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate tourists and crew members, while another team of volunteers worked to control the fire.
Koh Tao has been dubbed 'death island' after a spate of deaths and disappearances
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Koh Tao, a popular scuba diving destination, has been branded "Death Island" following a spate of murders and disappearances.
In 2014, British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found dead on Sairee Beach.
There have been at least 16 known cases of unexplained or suspicious tourist deaths on the island since 2014.
Last year, the body of British backpacker Theo Bailey was discovered in a shallow ditch after he went missing during a night out with his girlfriend.
