- Title: THAILAND: SEARCH FOR BODIES CONTINUES WITH THOUSANDS STILL MISSING IN THAILAND
- Date: 22nd January 2005
- Summary: (BN06) SIMILAN ISLANDS, THAILAND (JANUARY 22, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV NAVY BOAT BEGINNING PATROL TO SEARCH FOR BODIES 0.05 2. ALV OF COCKPIT 0.11 3. SV MARINE DRIVING BOAT 0.15 4. SV/CU OF MARINE PLOTTING ROUTE ON MAP (2 SHOTS) 0.26 5. SLV PEOPLE WATCHING SHORELINE 0.30 6. MCU MAN LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS 0.35 7. LV SHORELINE AS BOAT PASSES 0.39 8. MCU (Thai) SHIP'S CAPTAIN, LIEUTENANT TAWATCHAI MANEEPAN SAYING: "We thought there would more bodies here, but there aren't very many because it's been more than twenty days now. So we need help from fishing and tour boats, they should call us if they see a body." 0.53 9. SLV MARINES STANDING AROUND BODY DISCOVERED ON BEACH 0.58 10. CLOSE ON BODY 1.02 11. MCU MARINE REPORTING BODY ON WALKIE TALKIE 1.05 12. SLV/SV OF BODY BEING WRAPPED UP (2 SHOTS) 1.18 13. SLV ISLANDERS WATCHING 1.20 14. SLV/SV VARIOUS OF BODY BEING PUT INTO DINGHY (3 SHOTS) 1.39 15. CU ON BODY IN BOTTOM OF DINGHY AS IT IS ROWED BACK TO BOAT 1.43 16. SV MARINE ROWING DINGHY 1.52 17. MCU (Thai) FIRST CLASS PETTY OFFICER WASAN PONJANTOEK SAYING: "When we find bodies floating on the sea, it is like they want to be found. So sometimes, I feel like they have lost their way and we have to take them home" 2.02 18. SV OF DINGHY ARRIVING AT BOAT AND BODY BEING TRANSFERRED (2 SHOTS) 2.19 (BN6) PHUKET, THAILAND (JANUARY 22, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 19. SV THAI FOREIGN MINISTER SURAKIART SATHIRATHAI TALKING WITH REPORTERS 2.23 20. MCU (English) THAI FOREIGN MINISTER SURAKIART SATHIRATHAI SAYING: "We found one or two bodies every day, and we have told all the countries that if there is any particular site that any country, any group, would like us to work together with their team to look particularly for survivors or bodies or whatever, we would be happy to do so. So the search and rescue will not stop, will continue, but only very specific areas" 2.50 21. SLV BOAT ARRIVING BACK AT NAVAL BASE 2.55 22. SV BODY BEING TRANSFERRED TO SHORE 3.02 23. SLV/SV OF FORENSICS EXPERT PORNTIP ROJANASUNANT EXAMINING BODY (2 SHOTS) 3.09 24. SLV BODY BEING LIFTED INTO PICK UP TRUCK 3.17 25. CU PULL OUT SLV TRUCK DRIVING AWAY 3.24 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SIMILAN ISLANDS AND PHUKET, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVAYX14CHEBROLI45SPTB4COPTA
- Story Text: Search for bodies continues with thousands still
missing in Thailand.
Almost a month after the deadly waves killed over
5,300 people in southern Thailand, the search for bodies
continues.
The debris may have been cleared from hard-hit areas
such as Patong beach and Khao Lak, but hundreds of bodies
may still be out at sea waiting to be found in more remote
spots.
Thailand's navy patrols the outlying islands daily,
hoping to find bodies that have been washed away.
Scouring bobbing waves and following up on tips from
local fishing boats, the marines on this ship have been searching the
s
eas since the day after the disaster.
Ship's captain, lieutenant Tawatchai Maneepan, said it
is getting harder to find bodies as time goes on.
"We thought there would more bodies here, but there
aren't very many because it's been more than twenty days
now. So we need help from fishing and tour boats, they
should call us if they see a body," he said.
Responding to a call by local islanders, marines
searched a nearby beach and found a woman's decomposing
body half buried under the sand.
They carefully wrapped it in layers of plastic and
cotton before transferring it back ot their boat and
continuing the search.
Petty officer Wasan Ponjantoek has been searching for
bodies since December 27th, and had found fifteen in recent
weeks.
"When we find bodies floating on the sea, it is like
they want to be found. So sometimes, I feel like they have
lost their way and we have to take them home," he said.
With over 3,000 people reported missing, Thailand has
promised to keep searching for bodies. But foreign minister
Surakiart Sathirathai said the scope of the search had
narrowed as the focus shifts to identifying those bodies
already found.
"We found one or two bodies every day, and we have
told all the countries that if there is any particular site
that any country, any group, would like us to work together
with their team to look particularly for survivors or
bodies or whatever, we would be happy to do so. So the
search and rescue will not stop, will continue, but only
very specific areas," he told reporters.
Bodies brought back from a search are handed over to
forensics teams who face the mammoth task of identifying
the dead, as families in Thailand and around the world wait
for news of loved ones lost.
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