BANGKOK: The joint US-Thai operation to search for and remove hazardous materials from the HTMS Sukhothai continued on Sunday (Feb 25) with six dives to search for missing persons in Radar Room 2.
The divers also retrieved M16 rifles, prepared to disassemble a 20-millimetre-calibre machine gun, and took comprehensive photographs around the ship.
Using HTMS MunNai as the base for operations, the operations team also safely extracted equipment that could be removed externally from the vessel.
The Navy has released the latest images of the submerged vessel, which has now been underwater for 14 months. They include an exploration of the commander's room and the examination of other areas within the vessel in search of the remains of the deceased.
However, as of Sunday (Feb 25), no bodies had been discovered and operations will thus continue in as yet unexplored areas in the coming days.
For today's operation, the 5th day of the mission, 5 underwater dives are planned, with the divers conducting surveys and searching for missing persons in key areas, including the engine room, the quartermaster's room, and the aisle in the middle of deck 1. - The Nation/ANN
