More than 30 sailors were still missing on Monday, more than 17 hours after their vessel capsized in choppy waters in the Gulf of Thailand. Thai naval ships and helicopters scoured the area.
The navy reported that as of Monday afternoon, 31 of the 75 sailors from the HTMS Sukhothai corvette were still missing. The navy reported that although the high waves that triggered the catastrophe had diminished since the sinking on Sunday night, they were still high enough to put small boats at risk.
A crew member who was saved claimed in an interview with Thai PBS television that he had to float in the water for three hours before help arrived. He claimed that when the ship sank on Sunday night, rescue efforts were hampered by 3-meter (10-foot) high waves that were buffeting the ship.
We are unable to hunt for them from the horizontal line since the waves are still high. Instead, we must pilot the helicopters and look for them from above, according to Adm. Pokkrong Monthatphalin, a spokesman for the navy, who talked to Thai PBS.
In a hospital, eleven of the sailors who had been saved were receiving care. A local media story that one death had been confirmed was refuted by the navy, which said the victim died in an accident involving a different boat.
On Sunday evening, the HTMS Sukhothai’s electrical system was destroyed by strong winds, which made it challenging to control the ship. In an effort to aid the injured ship by removing the seawater, the navy sent out three frigates and two helicopters with mobile pumping equipment. However, the severe winds prevented them from being successful.
The vessel began to list and sink as a result of the loss of power, which allowed additional seawater to enter.
Just a few hours prior to the tragedy, Thailand’s Meteorological Department had issued a weather notice for the general area, stating that waves in the Gulf of Thailand were anticipated to be 2-4 meters (7-14 feet) high with thunderstorms. It advised small craft not to set sail until Tuesday and advised all ships to “proceed with caution.”
In 1987, the Sukhothai was launched after being constructed in Tacoma, Washington. It is about midsize for a corvette, a sort of armed vessel that is normally utilized for patrolling close offshore waters, with a maximum displacement of 959 tons and a length of 76.8 meters (252 feet).
The battleship was 32 kilometers (20 miles) away from the pier in the Prachuap Khiri Khan Province district of Bangsaphan while it was on patrol. Pokkrong claimed that the vessel had been on a routine patrol to support any fishing vessels in need.
The rescue of all the sailors is currently our top priority. Later, we’ll arrange to have the ship salvaged,” he declared. Around the sinking site, a 16 square kilometer (6.2 square mile) search was being performed.
Far southern Thailand has recently seen rains and flooding, while northern and central Thailand are currently seeing their coldest temperatures of the year.
