Dozens of sailors missing after Thai navy ship sinks | News

The HTMS Sukhothai was carrying 106 people when it sank in choppy waters in the Gulf of Thailand, the navy says.

Thailand’s military has dispatched helicopters, planes and ships to rescue dozens of sailors missing after a navy vessel sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand.

The HTMS Sukhothai was carrying 106 people when it went down late on Sunday night, according to the Royal Thai Navy.

By midmorning on Monday, 75 sailors had been rescued and 31 were still in the water, the military said. At least three of the survivors were “seriously injured”, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.

The HTMS Sukhothai had taken on seawater after it was hit by strong waves, causing it to tilt to one side, according to the Bangkok Post. The corvette class ship, which had been in use since 1987, also suffered a power blackout.

The vessel sank at 11:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) on Sunday.