Thai navy ship sinking: Rescuers find one survivor, 24 still missing

Rescuers found a survivor and recovered five bodies from a Thai warship that sank over the weekend in the Gulf of Thailand, navy officials said Tuesday, as hopes faded for two dozen people still missing. Officials acknowledged there were not enough life jackets for all those aboard.

The HTMS Sukhothai, a corvette in service for 35 years, sank Sunday night in rough seas with 105 people aboard.

The navy said an earlier tally of 106 people on board was incorrect because one sailor failed to join the journey.

Also read|Royal Thai navy ship carrying sailors sinks in Gulf of Thailand due to engine failure

Navy commander Adm. Cherngchai Chomcherngpat said initially at a news conference in Bangkok that two people had been rescued on Tuesday, but later said he had received updated information that only one person was alive and that five bodies had been recovered.

According to those figures, 76 people have now been rescued, five have been found dead and 24 are still unaccounted for.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Chonlathis Navanugraha said the survivor and the bodies, along with some debris, were found about 60 kilometers from where the ship sank. He said the United States, Britain and Malaysia have offered to help in the search.