Six crew members are missing after an oil tanker sank off the eastern coast of Thailand on Wednesday (November 11).

Following the incident, the Royal Thai Navy launched a search and rescue operation to locate the missing sailors while preparing measures to contain a potential oil spill.

According to the Royal Thai Navy, the Thai-flagged vessel, Venus 14, went down approximately 27 nautical miles off the entrance of the Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province.

The tanker was primarily used to supply fuel to fishing vessels.

The First Naval Area Command initiated a rescue mission to search for the missing crew and pinpoint the exact location of the sunken ship.

Naval patrol boats and a maritime surveillance aircraft have been deployed for the operation.

Authorities have also issued navigational warnings to other vessels transiting the surrounding waters.

The Royal Thai Navy noted concerns over possible fuel leakage from the wreck and stated that preparations are underway in coordination with the Marine Department to mitigate potential marine pollution.

The exact amount of fuel the tanker was carrying at the time of the sinking has not yet been confirmed.

Search operations for the six missing crew members remain ongoing.
Source: Anadolu Agency