BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): The Royal Thai Navy announced that eight sailors of the doomed HTMS Sukhothai are still missing after two bodies were retrieved on Tuesday (Dec 27) morning.
In the 11.30am Facebook post, the navy said that 76 of the 105 crew members of the warship were rescued, 21 were confirmed dead and eight still missing.
Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul (pic), commander of the First Naval Area, said the navy’s drone had spotted a body near Koh Sak close to the coast of Chumphon’s Muang district at 8.36am.
The navy coordinated with the Fisheries Department to have one of its boats pick up the body and have it transported to the Sawang Rat Sattha Foundation in Prachuap Khiri Khan for identification.
At 10.15am, the drone detected another body nearby and the navy dispatched HTMS Narathiwat to pick it up.
Pichai said initial investigation has shown that one of HTMS Sukhothai’s life rafts had not been deployed.
A thorough investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the malfunction, he added.
The HTMS Sukhothai had six life rafts, three on each side, and each raft could carry 16 crew members with food, water and other life-saving gear.
The search-and-rescue operations have entered the ninth day after the Rattanakosin-class corvette capsized in stormy seas.
The navy dispatched four ships – HTMS Naresuan, HTMS Taksin, HTMS Narathiwat and HTMS Kraburi – to hunt for the missing sailors.
Two more navy ships – HTMS Bang Rachan and HTMS Ravi – were dispatched earlier on Tuesday to resume diving operations near the wreckage.
HTMS Bang Rachan sent divers out at 3am, while HTMS Ravi began the operation at 6am.
The diving operation had been suspended for two days because the waves were too high.
The Royal Thai Navy announced that eight bodies that have been identified will be moved to Sattahip naval base on Wednesday for funeral rites.
HTMS Sukhothai capsized some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district on Dec 18.
