BANGKOK — Thai navy ships and helicopters searched Monday for more than 30 sailors still missing 24 hours after their warship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand. Survivors described chaotic scenes as they struggled to survive while the ship went down, and the navy commander confirmed there were not enough life jackets for everyone on board.
As of Monday night, 75 sailors from the HTMS Sukhothai corvette had been rescued and 31 were still missing, the navy said. The high waves that caused the accident had lessened since Sunday night's sinking, but were still high enough to endanger small boats, the navy said.
Details about the sinking and the initial rescue effort were still unclear. One sailor told Thai Rath television that there were not enough life jackets because more people than usual were aboard the ship.
In comments broadcast by another station, PPTV, Navy Commander Adm. Choengchai Chomchoengpaet confirmed that was true.
“This operation, they added staff from the Marine Corps and Air and Coastal Defense Command, about 30 people. This is why I think there were not enough life jackets,” he said.
The ship normally carried a total of 87 crew and officers, according to the navy's website.
Another survivor interviewed by Thai Rath said waves swept people away as the boat was listing.
He said a big wave “took me, threw me under the ship. The ship went vertical and pulled me down. I struggled to get up…
