During its latest episode, BBC Breakfast took an unexpected turn, as presenter Roger Johnson announced some “disturbing news.”
The popular morning show, hosted by Roger and Sally Nugent, aired on Monday (March 17). It provided viewers with the most recent news headlines from the UK and around the world.
However, after discussing the political happenings in Westminster, Sally transitioned to a breaking story, stating, “And now Roger has news on a story that has just come into us in the last hour or so from Thailand.”
Roger responded: “Yes, indeed, Sally, this is disturbing news as well. Officials in Thailand are informing us this morning that a British woman has gone missing after a tour boat she was travelling on caught fire off the island of Koh Tao.
“The woman was one of approximately twenty people on board the vessel yesterday when the fire broke out. It’s understood that the other passengers were rescued by passing boats.
“But the 26-year-old, who has been identified locally as Alexandra Clarke from South London, remains unaccounted for,” reports the Express.
He continued: “The foreign office says they are supporting her family.”
In addition to Roger delivering the tragic news, footage of the burning boat in Thailand was shown on the news programme.
According to recent reports, Alexandra was the only passenger on board the Davy Jones Locker reported missing at the time.
A social media post cited by Sky News stated: “The authorities therefore organised a search team for the missing person.
“After receiving the report (of the fire), the Surat Thani Provincial Marine Office coordinated with private boats and volunteers to quickly help evacuate tourists and crew to another boat safely.”
Meanwhile, Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center in Surat Thani, informed media outlets that the fire broke out around 9am local time, with an emergency call following shortly.
He explained: “The boat was carrying a group of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was between five and six nautical miles away from the island.
“A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat.
“Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain’s cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.”
BBC Breakfast airs Mondays-Sundays from 6am on BBC One.