Seven more bodies found in search after Thailand shipwreck

Bangkok, Dec 24 (EFE).- The Thai Navy reported Saturday that rescue teams had found another seven bodies following the sinking of a warship last weekend.

The bodies were located and recovered between Friday night and Saturday afternoon and will now be subjected to forensic tests to determine their identities, a process that could take between three and four days, the navy said on social media.

If it is confirmed that the victims were crew members of the military ship HTMS Sukhothai, which sank Sunday with 105 individuals on board, the number of missing – currently estimated at 23 pending confirmation – will be officially reduced to 16.

Six deaths have already been confirmed due to the incident, which also caused the hospitalization of 18 people, while 58 crew members were rescued alive and uninjured.

The HTMS Sukhothai, a corvette ship, sank about 37 kilometers off the coast of the Thai province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, southwest of Bangkok, due to a strong storm that caused the entry of water in the engine room.

Preliminary investigations show the ship did not have enough life jackets for all crew members, while doubts arose about the ship’s seaworthiness, since it supposedly had a hull maintenance review pending.

These factors led opposition voices to announce they would submit an urgent motion for a debate on the incident in parliament and call for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha as defense minister, a position he holds simultaneously, to “demonstrate his responsibility.” EFE

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