Search teams expect to find the 16 crew of the HTMS Sukhothai who remain missing tomorrow (Sunday), hopefully including survivors, Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of the First Naval Area Command, said this evening.

Six bodies were recovered today off Bang Saphan district of Prachuap Khiri Khan, where the ship sank. All remains will be sent to the Police General Hospital for autopsy and identification, before their relatives are formally notified, he said.

He said that some of the crew might have died if they were hit by the sinking ship and their bodies sank as well but, after several days, floated back to the surface.

Vice Admiral Pichai disclosed that 53 divers were involved in the search operation today, while HTMS Kraburi was using its sonar to survey the sunken ship, to provide information for use in the future salvage operation.

He said that each diver spends only 15 minutes in the water, after which they surface and enter the decompression chamber, meaning that they have to race against time.

Regarding a report about some survivors being found, he said that no survivors had been located during the extensive search involving more than 80 units, but he prayed that some of the missing crew might survive and be found tomorrow.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service