The Royal Thai Navy said on Monday search and rescue personnel were still trying to rescue 31 sailors who had been thrown into the Gulf of Thailand overnight when a naval vessel sank after suddenly being flooded with water and losing power.
In a series of posts on Facebook and TwitterNaval officers said the ship, known as the HTMS Sukhothai, had been on patrol about 20 miles from a port in Prachuap Khiri Khan province when gusty winds and strong waves overturned the ship’s hull.
As the 35-year-old boat swayed, some seawater flowed into the electrical system through an exhaust pipe, causing a power outage that rendered the ship’s machinery and steering mechanisms useless. When the crew lost control of the ship, officials said more water quickly filled the hull, causing the HTMS Sukhothai to overturn further.
The crew called for help and the Royal Navy sent other boats and helicopters to the scene. But the HTMS Sukhothai sank just after midnight, officials said. By about 1 a.m., helicopters had arrived and released life rafts, a Thai navy spokesman said, adding that more than 70 of the 106 crew members were secured.
At around 10 a.m. local time on Monday, the spokesman, Admiral Pokkrong Monthatpalin, said authorities were still trying to rescue 31 naval officers.
In a telephone interview with DailyExpertNews, Adm. Monthatpalin that the darkness of the night made it difficult to determine whether any officer had reached a boat during early rescue efforts. But he said all officers, including those still in the water, should have worn a life jacket.
“Our main priority now is the search and rescue of our fellow skippers,” said Mr Monthatpalin. “All.”
Most of the more than 70 people rescued Monday morning, the spokesman said, were taken to a nearby port, officials said; some were taken to a hospital for treatment; others were taken to a shelter.
The HTMS Sukhothai was on normal patrol duty to monitor potential weather hazards. Once all 31 sailors are rescued, the Navy will try to save the ship itself, Adm. Monthatpalin. “We have to be very careful because there is fuel in the ship,” he added. “We don’t want an oil spill. We have to be very careful about that.”