Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Death toll from sinking of Thai navy ship rises to 18

In this photo provided by the Royal Thai Navy, the HTMS Sukhothai corvette warship lists off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. The Thai navy ship sunk in the Gulf of Thailand and ships and helicopters were working Monday to rescue sailors from the water. (Royal Thai Navy via AP)  In this photo provided by the Royal Thai Navy, the HTMS Sukhothai corvette warship lists off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. The Thai navy ship sunk in the Gulf of Thailand and ships and helicopters were working Monday to rescue sailors from the water. (Royal Thai Navy via AP) 
Share

's navy said Sunday that the death toll from the earlier in the week had risen to 18.

The HTMS Sukhothai , leaving dozens of its crew missing in stormy seas in the Gulf of Thailand.

11 officers remain missing, the Royal Thai Navy said in an update Sunday. Of the 105 on board the ship at the time of the disaster, 76 have been rescued.

The ship was carrying 30 more people than usual at the time of its sinking, and there were not enough life jackets for all of them, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy Tuesday.

The extra officers were aboard because the ship was taking part in a salute to the founder of the Thai navy, Cherngchai said. The crew were "fully aware about the problem of not having enough life jackets for 30 additional officers. They tried to use other tools which could save the lives of officers who didn't have life jackets," Cherngchai added.

Some of those without life jackets tried to escape on inflatable rafts, some of which were stored aboard the HTMS Sukhothai and some of which were dropped by rescue helicopters and other ships.

"With or without life jacket (it) doesn't affect the odds of surviving," the admiral said.

He said the ship sank after seawater entered and disabled its power systems.

Waves were between 3 and 4 metres (10 feet to 13 feet) high at the time and the water temperature was about 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit).

Water entered the front portion of the 252-foot-(76.8-metre)-long warship around 8:45 p.m. Sunday, Cherngchai said.

The flooding continued for more than three hours, eventually disabling the ship's engine and electrical systems and dooming efforts to pump it out.

Rescue teams in helicopters tried to lower water pumps to the ship but the efforts were thwarted as the vessel began to tilt heavily.

The admiral dismissed a suggestion that the almost 40-year-old ship might not have been in proper shape to handle the high seas, saying it had been upgraded several times in recent years.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.