After a naval warship sank on Sunday, dozens of Thai service members were rescued from the water. However, 31 have yet to be located despite a search by military frigates and helicopters.
On Sunday night, while on patrol in the Gulf of Thailand, roughly 37 kilometres (22 miles) from Thailand’s southeastern coast, the HTMS Sukhothai sank.
The Royal Thai Navy released photos showing some of the 75 persons rescued after leaping onto a life raft at night.
As of Monday afternoon, however, 31 servicemen remained missing, according to Navy spokeswoman Admiral Pogkrong Montradpalin.
Two Seahawk helicopters, two frigates, and one amphibious assault ship were used in the search and rescue, according to a naval statement.
Later on Monday, the Royal Thai Air Force issued a statement saying they also aided the operation. The statement did not provide any other specifics.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha has stated that an investigation into the incident’s origins is currently underway.
He said, “I am following the news closely; about five people are seriously injured.”
A spokeswoman for the navy stated that the ship sank due to a failure in its electronic systems.
He said the ship had become uncontrollable because its operating system had suddenly shut down.
The navy released photos and video showing the ship capsized and a rescue boat approaching it in stormy seas.
After their rescue, the men in the photos posted to the navy’s Twitter account were shown wrapped in blankets.
Storms and flooding have recently affected multiple regions in southern Thailand.
The Thai meteorological office issued a statement on Monday telling mariners to exercise caution in the Gulf of Thailand due to high winds.
According to the United States Naval Institute, the HTMS Sukhothai was commissioned in 1987 and was constructed in the United States by the now-defunct Tacoma Boatbuilding Company.
In 2018, a boat carrying mostly Chinese tourists overturned off the coast of Phuket island in Thailand on the west coast.
The accident, which claimed the lives of more than 40 individuals, was one of the deadliest maritime catastrophes in recent history.