At least 31 people went missing after a ship sank in Thailand last night. The country’s Navy announced today that it is conducting a rescue operation.
“We are looking for 31 of the 106 crew of HTMS Sukhothai,” said Admiral Pogkrong Montradpalin, spokesman for the Royal Thai Navy.
The admiral said the crew of the ship, which sank shortly after midnight due to strong tides in the Gulf of Thailand, “lost control” after its electrical system was damaged.
The spokesperson explained that after a “strong wave”, the patrol corvette’s electrical system was damaged, causing the machinery that kept it to work, shutting down.
Images released by the Navy show the ship completely tilted to one side, half sunk in the sea.
About 75 crew members were rescued in the rescue operation, which involved two military helicopters, two frigates and an amphibious ship, the Navy said.
About 11 people were hospitalized in Bang Saphan.
Various parts of southern Thailand have been hit by heavy rains in recent days, which has disrupted ship movement between the mainland and the tourist island of Koh Samui on Sunday and Monday (19).
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha announced that an investigation has been launched into the cause of the incident.
“I follow the news closely, 5 people were seriously injured,” he said.
The American-built Sukhothai HTMS entered service in 1987, according to the US Naval Institute think tank.
Parts of southern Thailand have been affected by storms and heavy rain in recent days.
In 2018, a ship carrying Chinese tourists capsized near the island of Phuket on the west coast of Thailand. More than 40 people died in one of the biggest naval tragedies in the country’s recent history.
*With information from AFP and RFI
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.