Thai navy ships and helicopters searched for more than 30 sailors still missing more than 17 hours after their warship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand.
The vessel, identified as HTMS Sukhothai, sank after strong waves and high winds tilted the boat sharply toward the water, according to a Thai Navy spokesperson Pokkrong Monthatphalin. The boat was patrolling about 20 miles from Bang Saphan District in central Thailand when it sank.
Videos shared on social media show the corvette sailing at about 60 degrees to the water, the sound of lashing winds, and shouting sailors in the background.
Search and rescue operation
A rescue and search operation is underway using military helicopters and warships to locate at least 31 missing sailors.
Thai media reported that at least 78 of the 106 crew on board the corvette had been rescued and brought to the port of Bang Saphan in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Eleven of the rescued are being treated at a local hospital while another 40 had been taken to a shelter after medical examination, the navy said.
Although the navy initially said that the crew onboard was safe, it released a statement on Monday morning confirming 31 marines were still awaiting rescue in the water.
The navy has also denied a local media report that one sailor had died, saying the death was from another accident involving a boat.
Storms were expected
The met department had issued a weather advisory a few hours before the accident, warning of high waves and heavy rain in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday and Monday, saying waves as high as two to four meters (7-14 feet) were expected with thundershowers. Ships were directed to “proceed with caution”, while ferry services had been suspended.
About HTMS Sukhothai
HTMS Sukhothai is one of only seven navy corvettes that the Royal Thai Navy has. The US-built vessel was commissioned by the Thai Navy in 1987. It was equipped with a range of missiles, naval guns, and torpedoes. With a maximum displacement of 959 tons and a length of 76.8 meters (252 feet), it is about midsize for a corvette, a type of armed vessel that typically is used for patrolling close offshore waters.
Of the other six Thai navy corvettes, three are locally built, the US Naval Institute reported.