A representative from the People's Committee of Phu Quoc stated that around 1:45 h on 19/2, the Phung Vu 79 tourist boat, owned by local resident Pham Lam Vu, unexpectedly caught fire in the An Thoi area. When the fire broke out, the boat was anchored in the Bai Dat Do area, about 500 m offshore, with no one on board. Video footage recorded by residents showed flames rising high, brightly illuminating a section of the beach in An Thoi. During the blaze, the boat drifted, and the fire spread to a local fisherman's fish raft, causing it to catch fire.
Local authorities estimated the property damage from the fire at approximately 1,9 billion VND, with the tourist boat sustaining about 1,6 billion VND in damage. The burnt boat was a small tourist vessel with a capacity of approximately 49 people, primarily used for day island tours or fishing and squid-catching excursions.
By the evening of 19/2, the boat owner stated that the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. After the incident, the boat sank and has not yet been salvaged.
Hoai Anh
