A Thai Navy ship with more than 100 crew members on board capsized during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand on the night of Sunday, December 18. Authorities said 75 sailors had been rescued, but another 31 crew members were missing, the BBC reported.
Search crews worked through the night to find survivors and will continue on Monday, a spokesman for the Thai Navy said. He added that the investigation into the causes of the disaster continues.
The ship is said to have sunk after water flooded the hull and caused a short circuit in its engine room. Due to the loss of power, the crew struggled to maintain control of the ship, which capsized on its side before sinking around 11:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. GMT).
The vessel was patrolling an area 32 kilometers west of Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Photos and video released by the Thai Navy show the ship capsizing on its starboard side, with standby rescue ships scrambling to find survivors in the rough waters.
Three naval ships and helicopters were sent to help, but only the frigate HTMAS Kraburi reached the vessel before it sank. The frigate evacuated 75 on board the Sukhotai, the Navy said.