When it sank in choppy waters in the Gulf of Thailand, the HTMS Sukhothai was carrying 106 passengers, according to the navy.
After a navy ship sank in the Gulf of Thailand during a storm, Thailand’s military sent ships, helicopters, and planes to try and find the dozens of sailors who are still missing.
The Royal Thai Navy reported that 106 people were aboard the HTMS Sukhothai when it went down late on Sunday night.
31 sailors were still in the water as of Monday morning’s midday, according to the military, who reported that 75 sailors had been saved. The Bangkok Post newspaper claimed that at least three of the survivors had “seriously injured.”
The HTMS Sukhothai had taken on seawater after it was hit by strong waves, causing it to tilt to one side, according to the Bangkok Post. The corvette class ship, which had been in use since 1987, also suffered a power blackout.
The vessel sank at 11:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) on Sunday.
เหตุ #เรือหลวงสุโขทัย ประสบเหตุเอียงและน้ำเข้าเรือ โฆษกกองทัพเรือชี้แจงว่าเหตุการณ์เรือหลวงสุโขทัยประสบเหตุเอียงนั้นเกิดจากเครื่องยนต์ขัดข้อง ทำให้น้ำไหลย้อนเข้าตัวเรือ และเรือเอียง กำลังเร่งระบายน้ำและอพยพกำลังพลที่ไม่เกี่ยวข้องออก ถ้ากู้สถานการณ์ไม่ได้จำเป็นต้องสละเรือ pic.twitter.com/LmQnee2G2N
— thaiarmedforce (@ThaiArmedForce) December 18, 2022
The Thai navy said it had dispatched three frigates and two helicopters with mobile pumping machines to assist the disabled ship by removing seawater, but the rescue efforts were unsuccessful due to strong winds.
A picture shared by the navy showed the grey vessel flipped over onto its side, while another image on a scanner screen showed the bow of the ship and a gun turret poking out above the waterline as it went down.
The 31 sailors still missing are all believed to be afloat in the stormy sea, wearing life jackets, the Bangkok Post reported.
The incident occurred while the warship was on patrol at sea 32km (20 miles) from the pier at Bangsaphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
While northern and central parts are seeing their coldest temperatures of the year, far southern Thailand has been experiencing storms and flooding in recent days.
Ships had been warned to stay ashore during the inclement weather.
Source: Aljazeera.com