AN OIL TANKER sailing under the flag of Malaysia rescued two Thai navy sailors floating in the sea after HTMS 442 Sukhothai sank on Sunday night (Dec. 18) with a patrol boat having already picked them up, INN News said this afternoon (Dec. 20).
At noon today the First Naval Area Command sent patrol boat number 262 (Tor. 262) to pick up Lt. Jg. Thirasak Rattaya Tonhon and Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1) Kirasak Chamnannork from the oil tanker Straits Energy.
Both were taken good care of by the crew of the oil tanker and are in good health. They are being sent to Queen Sirikit Hospital, attached to the Naval Medical Department, in Sattahip district of Chonburi province for a checkup before returning home for further rehabilitation.
According to Marinetraffic.com Straits Energy was built in 2008 by Zhejiang Fanshun Shipbuilding Industry in China and is currently sailing under the flag of Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Navy Commander Adm. Choengchai Chomchoengpaet confirmed six of 30 sailors missing after HTMS 442 Sukhothai sank had been found with four of them dead, Thai Rath newspaper said.
He gave details of the sinking of the warship, mentioning that strong waves had caused it to tilt 60 degrees and there was then an engine failure after some seawater flowed into the electrical system through the exhaust pipe. With the machines not working the crew were unable to control the warship as seawater quickly flowed in. It then sank at 11.30 p.m. that night.
CAPTIONS:
Top: One of two Thai navy sailors who were rescued by a Malaysain oil tanker climbing down to the patrol boat that had come to collect them. Photo: INN News
Front Page: Navy Commander Adm. Choengchai Chomchoengpaet, left, and HTMS 442 Sukhothai befor it sank. Photo: Thai Rath
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