More than 70 sailors have been rescued in the Gulf of Thailand after one of the country’s navy vessels was hit by high winds.
The corvette HTMS Sukhothai was patrolling at sea 20 miles from the jetty in Bangsaphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province when it hit bad weather.
The winds blew seawater onto the warship and knocked out its electrical system.
The Royal Thai Navy sent three frigates – HTMS Ang Thong HTMS Bhumibol HTMS Kraburi – and two helicopters with mobile pumping machines in an effort to evacuate the water.
But strong winds made the mission impossible.
As seawater poured over the ship, it began to sink.
In the early hours of Monday (UK time), the Navy said 75 sailors had been rescued, with ships and helicopters searching for another 31 people still in the water.
Eleven people are currently being treated in hospital.
The Navy released photos of a group of people wearing orange vests sitting in a black inflatable raft, with waves billowing around it in the dark.
Sukhothai was built in the USA and had been in use since 1987.
Thailand has recently experienced extreme weather conditions – the north and center of the country are experiencing their coldest temperatures of the year.
In the far south, there were storms and flooding, prompting ships to stay ashore.
