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INTRO
The captain of the tourist boat that capsized and sank off Thailand's seaside resort of Pattaya last week has confessed to negligence.
An initial investigation had blamed overloading and poor onboard safety mechanisms for the incident.
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The tour boat capsized and sank near Thailand's popular seaside town of Pattaya last Sunday, killing at least six people, including one Chinese and two Russians.
The captain turned himself into police shortly after the incident, reportedly saying that he had lost control of the vessel after taking drugs before going to work.
As a result, the ferry sailed off course, hit rocks and breached the water pump.
Many passengers on the lower deck, who were not warned by crew about the breach, panicked and rushed to the second floor, causing the boat to flip onto one side and sink.
Six passengers, including three foreigners and three Thais, were killed in the incident.
Over 100 were injured, ten seriously. They were rushed to a hospital in Pattaya for treatment and most were discharged on Monday.
Shortly after the incident occured, the Chinese embassy in Thailand contacted local authorities to confirm the identities of the Chinese nationals involved.
Consular officers have been providing assistance to Chinese citizens.
SOUNDBITE: ZHU WEIDONG, General Consular, Chinese Embassy in Thailand
"The embassy has urged Thai officials to make the utmost effort to ensure the security of Chinese nationals travelling in Thailand."
The embassy will continue to follow the development of rescue work.
Survivors claimed they couldn't find enough life jackets on the boat and had to cling to ice buckets and other objects in the water to stay afloat.
A team of 10 divers sent out by local authorities on Monday found no more bodies. The sunken vessel will be salvaged next month.
The captain's license has been revoked.
The owner of the ferry has been ordered to pay 16,000 dollars in compensation to the family of each victim who died in the incident and 3,700 dollars to each injured.
