Navy ship capsizes in storm night - 31 sailors are still missing, at least one dead

Created: 12/20/2022 8:21 am

By: Vincent Fischer

Dramatic scenes in the Gulf of Thailand.

A naval ship capsized in a storm.

31 people are missing, there is at least one dead.

Bangkok – A serious shipwreck occurred in the Gulf of Thailand late Sunday evening local time.

The HTMS Sukhothai, a ship of the Thai Navy, was caught in a storm and sank.

Most of the 106 crew members were rescued, the

reports, citing the Navy.

However, 31 people are still missing.

Thailand: Navy ship goes down in storm night - at least one dead

75 people have been rescued from the water, three of them are seriously injured.

The Navy also reported one fatality.

However, the person probably does not belong to the crew of the HTMS Sukhothai, but comes from another ship that sank during the night of the storm.

Further details are not yet known.

Thai Navy frigates and helicopters launched a widespread search for the 31 missing crew members.

A ship of the Thai navy sank in the night from Sunday to Monday.

31 people are still missing.

© AFP PHOTO / ROYAL THAI NAVY

The ship was patrolling off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province when it was caught in the storm.

The HTMS Sukhothai sank around 11:30 p.m. local time, a spokesman for the navy said.

At the time, it was about 37 kilometers off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Dramatic scenes after the sinking of a Thai naval ship

The sea storm triggered such high waves that the ship had a strong list.

The corvette tilted about 60 degrees to starboard, allowing water to enter.

There was a power failure and the main engine failed.

The crew had finally lost control of the ship.

The HTMS Sukhothai continued to tip sideways and went under.

Videos published by the Navy on social networks show the dramatic scenes during the accident.

According to the

, the ship was manufactured in the USA and had been in service since 1987.

It was equipped for air defense, naval battles and anti-submarine operations.

According to a Navy general, the ship should be recovered and examined.

The ocean at the scene of the accident is said to be about 40 meters deep.