The Royal Thai Navy has dispatched a patrol vessel and an aircraft to search for six crew members of an oil tanker, which sank about 27 nautical miles southwest of the Sattahip naval base.
After being alerted to the sinking of the oil tanker ‘Venus 14’ this morning, Rear Admiral Chanin Sriyabhai, spokesman for the First Region Fleet, said that a patrol boat and an aircraft were immediately sent to the location where the oil tanker is reported to have foundered.
He said that the navy is also monitoring for oil leaks from the sunken vessel and has warned ships in the area to exercise extreme caution. He also said that the Marine Department has been advised to brace for a possible oil spill.
HTMS Panyi, which has the capability to contain an oil spill, and a helicopter have been placed on standby for possible deployment upon receiving a request for help.
At the time of this report, the fate of the six missing crew was not known.
