BANGKOK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Three missing crew members are believed to be trapped inside the Thai cargo ship, which was attacked on Wednesday, as Thailand's Navy chief has directly contacted his Omani counterpart for urgent help in the search.
A vessel under the Thai flag was hit while sailing in the Strait of Hormuz with 23 Thai crew members on board, while the remaining 20 crew members have been safely evacuated and are currently ashore in Oman.
"Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room" of the Thai vessel, which was damaged in the strikes, said Thai shipping company Precious Shipping PCL, owner of the vessel, in a statement on Wednesday.
Following the attack, Admiral Pairote Fuangchan, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, directly sent an urgent message on Wednesday evening to Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser Al Rahbi, commander of the Royal Navy of Oman, to express his gratitude for the prompt assistance given to the Thai crew.
The Royal Thai Navy also said it remained deeply concerned about the three Thai crew members still unaccounted for on board the vessel. The navy chief has asked the Omani navy to continue and intensify the search to maximize the chances of finding and rescuing them as soon as possible. ■
