People jump into the sea to escape raging ferry fire in Gulf of Thailand

A ferry with more than 100 people on board caught fire off the coast of southern Thailand on Thursday morning, forcing passengers to jump into the sea to escape the blaze.The overnight ferry left the coastal province of Surat Thani on Wednesday evening and was about to arrive at Koh Tao, a popular tourist destination about a hundred kilometers off the coast in the Gulf of Thailand, when the fire began.One of the passengers, Maitree Promjampa, told The Associated Press by phone that he first heard a crackling sound then smelled smoke.Less than five minutes later he saw flames, causing those on board to start shouting and ring the alarm.Authorities confirmed that there were no injuries.