OVERCROWDING, the lack of sufficient life vests and a submerged pole in the river were factors in Sunday’s boat accident in the Chao Phaya River in the province of Ayutthaya, the Cabinet heard yesterday.

Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith had informed the Cabinet about factors behind the capsizing, as the death toll rose to 28 yesterday.

“That pole is for a temple pier. When the water level in the river is not high, the pole is visible. But when the waters rise, it is submerged,” Sansern said.

The boat’s captain, who is now facing charges, said his vessel hit the pole before capsizing.

It is estimated that more than 100 people may have been on the ferry known as Sombatmongkonchai when it partially sank.

The boat, which was hired by a group of Thai-Muslims for a religious trip, capsized late in the afternoon on its return journey.

“We were so happy in the morning” was the title of a 90-second video clip on Fatima Khemmanee’s Facebook page.

The clip showed passengers, most of them dressed in yellow, smiling, singing and admiring the view along the river.

Other clips later showed passengers trying to help each other as the boat began to sink, while some showed people on shore trying to rescue victims.

As of press time, nine victims were still being treated in Ayutthaya Hospital.

Marine Department’s deputy director Nat Jabjai said a team of divers will inspect the vessel and salvage operations will begin.

“We found a very large crack [in the vessel] that is too large to fix,” he said, adding that the vessel will be dragged to the front of the Portuguese village.

“We can repair the vessel in that area because it is large and the waters are still. The crack will be sealed with rubber or metal plate before we pump out the water,” he said.

He said the vessel would be stored in the Sri Charoen shipyard in Ayutthaya.

More than 100 boats jammed the Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong province for several hours yesterday as officials tried to salvage the partially-submerged boat.

The death toll of the accident climbed to 15 on Monday and 16 others were still unaccounted for.

Vurrd Lim S wrote on his Facebook page that when the boat passed him, the passengers even waved at him, RIP.

The accident took place at around 4pm in Ayutthaya province, when the overcrowded Sombatmongkonchai boat smashed into a pole in front of the Sanam Chai Temple after avoiding a collision with a large cargo boat.

The vessel, designed to carry 50 passengers, had more than 150 passengers on board at the time of the accident, according to some estimates.

“Many passengers tried to jump out of the boat and scrambled towards the shore, which was about three to five metres away,” Annop Kudeephan, a 50-year-old survivor, recounted.