1 dead in building collapse at Thai island resort

BANGKOK: A woman who was one of six Thai tourists at a beach resort in eastern Thailand was killed when the building in which they were staying collapsed, police said.

The other five people in the woman's party, all Thai, were rescued several hours after the collapse of the two-story building Saturday at the Siam Beach Resort on the island of Koh Chang, said police Lt. Col. Arwat Piboonsawat. A 3-year-old boy was one of those recovered from the rubble after a rescue effort of several hours to remove the debris.

The survivors were hospitalized in good condition.

The cause of the building's collapse was under investigation, but it occurred after a heavy rainstorm. Local media reported that officials speculated the rain might have undermined the building's foundation.

Thailand's huge tourist industry hosts almost 30 million visitors a year, but there have been increasing concerns about safety, though usually involving accidents at sea or on the roads.

In the latest such incident, a speedboat carrying about 30 passengers crashed into another boat late Saturday night as it was taking people back to the eastern Thailand mainland from a concert held on the island of Koh Samet.

Thai media said the passengers were taken to hospitals, but no serious injuries were reported.