Over twenty-dozen servicemen were remained missing on Monday, more than 12 hours after a warship capsized in choppy waters overnight in the Gulf of Thailand. Thai naval ships and helicopters were searching for them.
According to the navy, 31 personnel from the HTMS Sukhothai corvette were still in the sea as of midday, while 75 had already been saved.
The navy said that although the strong waves that triggered the catastrophe have diminished since Sunday night’s sinking, they were still high enough to put small boats in 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 said that when the ship sank on Sunday night, rescue operations were hampered by waves that were 10 feet (3 metres) high and 3 metres high, respectively.
As long as the waves are high, we cannot look for them along the horizontal line. 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.
On Sunday evening, the HTMS Sukhothai’s electrical system was destroyed by strong winds, which made it challenging to manage the ship. In an effort to aid the injured ship by draining the seawater, the navy sent out three frigates and two helicopters with mobile pumping equipment, but the strong winds prevented it from doing so.
Due to the absence of power, the vessel started to list and sink, allowing more saltwater to enter. The battleship was 32 kilometres (20 miles) away from the port in the Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial district of Bangsaphan when it was on patrol at sea.
Pokkrong said that while on routine patrol, the ship had been on the lookout for distressed fishing boats. The rescue of all the sailors is currently our top priority. Later, we’ll arrange to have the ship recovered,” he declared. Around the sinking location, a region of 16 square kilometres (6.2 square miles) was the subject of the search.
Far southern Thailand has recently had storms and flooding, while northern and central Thailand is currently seeing its lowest temperatures of the year.
The ships were admonished to remain on land.