23 Chinese injured in boat collision off Thailand's Phuket

A total of 23 Chinese tourists were injured and two South Koreans were missing after a speedboat and a fishing boat collided off Phuket Island in Thailand on Sunday, China's consular office in Phuket said Monday.

The 23 Chinese who suffered various degrees of injuries were admitted to five local hospitals in Phuket, the office said, adding five of them remained in ICU, but "for the moment, their lives are not in danger."

On Sunday afternoon, a speedboat named "Queen Star" sank after colliding with a long-tail fishing boat while heading from Phi Phi Island back to Phuket.

There were 37 foreign tourists aboard the speedboat, who were from China, South Korea and some Western countries, the office quoted local authorities as saying.

The search for the missing tourists and investigation into the cause of the accident are underway, local police said.