Myanmar sailors pulled from sea near Phuket

Myanmar sailors pulled from sea near Phuket

Thai navy sailors help a Myanmar sailor off Phuket Wednesday night. (Navy photo)
Thai navy sailors help a Myanmar sailor off Phuket Wednesday night. (Navy photo)

The navy brought seven Myanmar crewmen to Phuket Thursday morning rescued after their wooden boat sank 150 nautical miles off the island province on Tuesday.

Sailors aboard the HTMS Saiburi frigate found the men floating in the sea at about 8pm Wednesday. All were unhurt.

Earlier they had boarded " Aung Chat Sar" out of Rakhine state headed to Penang to take on cargo. The boat, 5.5 metres wide and 27m long, sank about 50 nautical miles to the west of Phuket at 5pm on Tuesday when its water pump failed.

At 2am on Wednesday, the Third Naval Area Command launched a patrol aircraft and the frigate for the search and rescue mission. The aircraft reached the location at 6am and the frigate arrived at about 11am. The mission was difficult in rough sea and strong winds.

At about 8pm the staff of HTMS Saiburi reported that it had found and recovered the sailors about 150 nautical miles to the west of Phuket having drifted about 50 miles from where their boat sank.

The frigate brought the rescued crewmembers to Phuket at about 10am on Thursday.

"The Myanmar survivors are very glad. They said they floated with the current after their boat had sunk and the HTMS could see them only from flashlights. It was a very good luck," Phuket governor Chamroen Thipayaphongthada said.

Relevant officials would arrange for the return of the rescued crewmembers to their homeland, he said.

Naval officers pose with the seven rescued Myanmar crewmembers in Phuket on Thursday. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)

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