Search continues for 17 missing Thai sailors

The Thai rescue team has continued the search operation for another 17 missing sailors and marines after their warship sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand last Sunday night.

On Saturday, the team recovered the bodies of six missing sailors of the sunken HTMS Sukhothai drifting at sea off the Bang Saphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan, where the ship sank.

Commander of the First Naval Area Command Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul said autopsy and identification would be conducted to confirm their identities which would take three to four days.

"To date, there are 17 sailors still missing," he said.

On Dec 18, the corvette, HTMS Sukhothai carrying 105 sailors suffered an engine malfunction and sank about 20 nautical miles off the Prachuap Khiri Khan province at about 11.30 pm (local time).

A total of 76 sailors were rescued so far. The bodies of six missing sailors were found on Tuesday and another six were recovered on Saturday and waiting for identification.

Pichai said the navy, air force, armed forces deployed vessels, helicopters, and planes to carry out search missions.

"Government agencies, private sectors, local fishermen as well as divers have joined the search to locate the missing sailors," he said.

-- BERNAMA