More bodies likely trapped in wreck of HTMS Sukhothai: Navy
Rescuers believe there could be more bodies trapped in the wreckage of the HTMS Sukhothai after retrieving the seventh victim from the warship’s sinking on Friday.
Twenty-two Royal Thai Navy sailors remain missing in the Gulf of Thailand after the ship went down off Prachuap Khiri Khan last Sunday.
The latest body was discovered by HTMS Bangrachan at around 4.15 on Friday afternoon as it searched the area around the capsized warship.
Capt Theerakiat Thong-Aram, deputy commander of the Bangrachan, said the body was found floating about 300 metres from where the warship sank. He said there could be more bodies trapped on the seabed in the ship.
The Navy’s Twitter account later confirmed the deceased sailor was from the Sukhothai. His identity has yet to be confirmed as the body had been floating in the water for several days and could not be identified by fingerprints.
Navy personnel and volunteers launched the search mission after the Sukhothai, a Rattanakosin-class corvette, capsized during stormy weather with 105 crew onboard on Sunday night.
The ship sank some 20 nautical miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district.
So far, seven bodies of Sukhothai crewmen have been found, while 22 who were onboard the ship are still unaccounted for.
Of the 76 crew who have been rescued, 19 are being treated at hospitals while 57 have been allowed to go home.
The Navy has deployed an underwater SeaFox drone to examine the wreck with cameras ahead of a possible salvage mission.
