Search and rescue operations were underway this morning for dozens of Royal Thai Navy crew members, hours after their vessel sank in the Gulf of Thailand.
The Royal Thai Navy at around 7am Monday reported that they have rescued 78 crew from the HTMS Sukhothai, a corvette designated FS-442, after it foundered at roughly 11:30pm on Sunday about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Flooding aboard the ship which disabled the engine was blamed for sinking the ship.
Three sailors were reportedly seriously injured. Another 28 crew members remained missing, according to Royal Thai Navy spokesman Adm. Pokkrong Monthatphalin.
#SukhothaiRoyalShip surged as a top trending hashtag on Twitter in Thailand this morning.
The ship, built in the United States and commissioned in 1987, was en route to a commemorative event marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, who is dubbed “The Father of the Thai Navy” for founding the Siamese Navy.
It marks the first sinking of a Thai naval vessel in modern history. In 1945, during World War II, the HTMS Samui was torpedoed by an American submarine off the Malaysian coast. The incident killed 31 sailors.
