Thai navy hunts for 31 missing sailors after warship sinks

The warship was hit by strong waves on Sunday, forcing it to tilt to one side before becoming flooded with seawater. PHOTOS: ROYAL THAI NAVY/TWITTER
Crew members from the capsized warship receiving medical treatment. PHOTO: REUTERS
Crew members from the capsized warship receiving medical treatment. PHOTO: REUTERS
The warship was hit by strong waves on Sunday, forcing it to tilt to one side before becoming flooded with seawater. PHOTO: THAIARMEDFORCE/TWITTER
The HTMS Sukhothai warship is a US-built corvette in use since 1987. PHOTO: ROYAL THAI NAVY/FACEBOOK

BANGKOK - Thai military frigates and helicopters were on Monday searching for 31 sailors after a naval vessel sank, with dozens of others having been hauled from choppy waters.

The HTMS Sukhothai capsized late on Sunday night as it was patrolling the Gulf of Thailand, about 37km from Bang Saphan pier in Prachuap Khiri Khan, off the country’s south-eastern coast.

Some sailors survived by jumping into a life raft, according to images shared by the Royal Thai Navy, which said 75 people had been rescued.

However, 31 sailors were still missing on Monday afternoon, according to navy spokesman Pogkrong Montradpalin.

The search and rescue operation involved two Seahawk helicopters, two frigates and one amphibious ship, said a navy statement.

A statement from the Royal Thai Air Force later on Monday said it was also assisting in the operation, without giving details.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the cause of the incident was being investigated.

“I am following the news closely, about five people are seriously injured,” he added in a statement.

The US-built corvette, in use since 1987, was hit by strong waves, and the crew lost control after seawater flowed into the ship through a pipe, cutting off the power, Admiral Montradpalin said. Water then rushed into the hull and the boat began to capsize.

“The ship’s operating systems stopped working, causing the ship to lose control,” he said.

Videos and photos shared on social media show the Sukhothai listing at a nearly 60-degree angle to the water, the sound of whipping winds and shouting sailors in the background, The Guardian reported.

A picture shared by the navy showed the grey vessel flipped over on 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.

Other images shared on the navy’s Twitter account showed men wrapped in blankets following their rescue.

Several areas in southern Thailand have been hit by storms and flooding in recent days.

The Thai metrological office said on Monday that strong winds were causing stormy conditions in the Gulf of Thailand, warning seafarers to proceed with caution and small boats to stay ashore.

It was the first sinking of a Thai warship since World War II when the HTMS Samui went down near Malaysia after being torpedoed by a US submarine, killing 31 sailors, media outlet Khaosod English reported.

In 2018, a boat carrying mostly Chinese tourists capsized off Phuket island on Thailand’s west coast.

More than 40 people died in the incident, one of the worst boat disasters in the country’s recent history. AFP

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