At least 31 people are missing after a military ship capsized overnight in the Gulf of Thailand, off Bang Saphan (south), a spokesman for the Royal Navy said on Monday.
"
We are still looking for 31
" of HTMS Sukhothai's 106 crew, Admiral Pogkrong Montradpalin said.
As a result of the "
high tide
", the electrical system of the patrol corvette was damaged, to the point of causing the machinery ensuring its operation to stop, he explained.
The crew "
lost control
" of the ship, which sank shortly after midnight (5:00 p.m. GMT), about 20 nautical miles (37 km) from the coast, at Bang Saphan, in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan (south) .
Navy footage shows the ship, fully tilted to one side, half-engulfed in water.
Some 75 crew members were rescued by the two military helicopters, two frigates and the amphibious ship dispatched to the scene, according to a navy statement.
The rescue mission, which started at 7 a.m. (0000 GMT), continues.
About 11 people were hospitalized in Bang Saphan.