31 sailors missing after Thailand warship sinks during a storm

Asia-Pacific, News December 20, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Thailand naval vessel HTMS Sukhothai confronted a storm in the Gulf of Thailand on December 18, 2022. The warship carrying 106 crew members capsized and sank due to flooding and losing power. Authorities claim that at least 75 crew members have been rescued, however, 31 sailors are still missing.

Thailand’s military dispatched helicopters and rescue boats to rescue dozens of sailors after the incident took place. According to the Royal Thai Navy, the vessels were sent to rescue the ship around midnight on December 18 and by morning around 75 sailors and officers were rescued from the wreckage.

The HTMS Sukhothai had sunk into the seawater after it was hit by strong waves, which lead to a power breakout and caused it to tilt to one side before sinking. The corvette ship had been in use since 1987.

The Thai navy reported that had dispatched three frigates and two helicopters with mobile pumping machines to assist the disabled ship by removing seawater, but the rescue efforts were unsuccessful due to strong winds. The incident occurred while the warship was on patrol at sea 32 kilometers from the pier at Bangsaphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Pictures and videos shared on social media show the grey vessel flipped over on one side, while images from a scanner show the ship’s guns and turret poking above the water as it sank amid the stormy winds.

All 31 sailors have been declared missing so far. All missing sailors are believed to be afloat in the stormy sea, as all the crew members were wearing life jackets. While northern and central parts of Southeast Asia are seeing their coldest temperatures of the year, southern Thailand has been experiencing storms and flooding in recent days with high temperatures. Fishing boats and ships had been warned to stay ashore during the inclement weather.

*^{Royal Thai Navy’s HTMS Sukhothai warship. (Image Credit: Twitter/Royal Thai Navy)}*

According to the spokesperson of the Royal Thai Navy Admiral Pogkrong Monthardpalin, “This has almost never happened in our force’s history, especially to a ship that is still in active use.” He said, “It’s been more than 12 hours, but we will keep looking.” Monthardpalin also stated that the ship went down after suffering from a power breakout caused by the flooding and strong storm waves.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha released a statement on Monday confirming officials were investigating the disaster. “I am following the news closely, about five people are seriously injured,” he said.