Divers have scoured the wreckage of a boat carrying Chinese tourists that sank in a storm off Thailand's southern resort island of Phuket, as the death toll rose to 21 with about 35 others missing, officials say.
Nine bodies of Chinese tourists were being brought to Phuket, where authorities had already confirmed the death of another Chinese man. The nationalities of the others killed were not immediately known.
Some of the bodies were found by divers who entered the wreck on Friday and others were floating in the water, said navy official Narong Aurabhakdi.
The boat was carrying 105 people, including 93 tourists, 11 crew and one tour guide when it toppled in 5-metre-high waves on Thursday evening.
Another boat also overturned off Phuket on Thursday afternoon, but all 42 on board were rescued.
Jin Yilin, consul-general of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said a delegation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry is on the way to Thailand.
Images on Thursday showed rescued people in large rubber life rafts, with fishing boats and churning seas in the background.
As the seas calmed on Friday, divers were transporting the bodies of the dead, including at least one child, from smaller boats to a larger ship taking part in the search effort.
Severe weather including heavy rain and winds were forecast until Tuesday. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong said officials would consider whether to ban boats from going to sea during strong winds.
