PHUKET, Thailand, March 6 (UPI) -- A ferry that sank in southwest Thailand during rough weather had more than three times the number of authorized passengers on board, a Thai official said.
Anuwat Maytheevibulwut, governor of Phangnga, told the Bangkok Post that the ferry was carrying at least 79 people. The ferry was licensed to carry only 22. At least eight people are known to have died in the disaster, while 59 were rescued.
The ferry was making its last trip of the day between the resort island of Phuket and Koh Yao Noi when it capsized in a heavy storm Saturday.
The newspaper said the boat's owner told police that many of those on board were relatives and he could not refuse them passage. The boat was also carrying construction materials and two motorcycles.
A festival aimed at reviving tourism in Phuket, which was devastated by the December tsunami, was cancelled because of the sinking and the bad weather.
