When HTMS Sukhothai was patrolling the Gulf of Thailand late on Sunday, it capsized in strong waves.
Thirty-one sailors are missing after their warship capsized in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand, and Thai navy ships and helicopters are searching for them.
While on patrol late Sunday night, 37 kilometres (22 miles) off the country’s southeast coast, the HTMS Sukhothai capsized.
The navy reported that as of Monday afternoon, 31 of the 75 crew members of the corvette were still missing. The navy reported that although the high waves that caused the accident had diminished since the sinking, they were still high enough to put small boats in danger.
A statement from the air force on Monday said it was assisting in the operation. It did not give details.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the cause of the incident was being investigated. “I am following the news closely,” he said in a statement. “About five people are seriously injured.”
A rescued crew member interviewed by Thai PBS television said he floated in the sea for three hours before he was rescued. He said the ship was buffeted by waves 3 metres (10 feet) high as it was sinking.
“The waves are still high and we cannot search for them from the horizontal line,” navy spokesman Pokkrong Monthatphalin told Thai PBS. “We have to fly the helicopters and search for them from a bird’s eye view instead.”
Eleven of the rescued sailors were being treated in hospital. The navy denied a local media report that one death had been confirmed, saying the fatality was from an accident involving another boat.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department had issued a weather advisory for the general area just a few hours before the accident, saying thundershowers were expected in the Gulf of Thailand along with waves 2 to 4 metres (7 to 14 feet) high. It suggested that all ships “proceed with caution” and warned small craft not to go to sea until Tuesday.
The Sukhothai was built in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States and was commissioned in 1987. It is a midsized corvette, an armed vessel typically used for patrolling close to shore waters. It has a maximum displacement of 959 tonnes and a length of 76.8 metres (252 feet).
The warship had been on patrol 32km (20 miles) from the pier in Bangsaphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Pokkrong said the ship had been on a regular patrol to assist any fishing boats needing help.
“Our top priority now is to rescue all the sailors,” he said. “We will plan to have the ship salvaged later.”
Northern and central Thailand are seeing their coldest temperatures of the year, and far southern Thailand has been experiencing storms and flooding in recent days.
Source: Aljazeera.com