A 76-mm artillery shell, which became jammed in a cannon on the HTMS Chonburi frigate during a live firing exercise in the Gulf on March 13, was accidentally discharged as it docked near HTMS Khirirat at Sattahip naval base on Thursday.

The Navy’s spokesman, Rear Admiral Veerudom Muangjin, said that the shell struck HTMS Khirirat, docked nearby, causing a fire which was eventually extinguished, adding that 14 crew members were injured, most suffering from smoke inhalation. They were rushed to Queen Sirikit Hospital.

An investigation team is to determine the cause of the accident and report to the Navy’s commander-in-chief Admiral Adoong Pan-iam within three days.

HTMS Khirirat, built at the Norfolk dockyard in the United States in 1972, entered service with the RTN in 1974. It has a displacement of 1,172 tonnes, is 82.5 metres long and 9.9 metres wide. It is equipped with one 76mm cannon, 20mm and 12.7mm guns and a depth charge launcher.