Thai authorities are responding to the sinking of the Panama-flagged general cargo vessel Sealloyd Arc, which went down off the coast of Phuket after taking on water and listing heavily in the Andaman Sea.
According to reporting by The Nation Thailand, Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen, Commander of the Third Naval Area Command, confirmed that the vessel experienced flooding before capsizing and sinking offshore.
The Royal Thai Navy is leading a multi-agency response involving marine police, port authorities and environmental agencies.
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The vessel was carrying approximately 290 containers. Authorities have confirmed that more than 200 containers were dispersed across the sea surface and seabed following the sinking, creating navigational risks in surrounding waters.
All 16 crew members were safely rescued, with no injuries reported. Regional coverage confirmed that nearby vessels assisted in the initial response before Thai naval units arrived and took over the evacuation and coordination efforts.
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Environmental concerns are now central to the ongoing response, as Thai authorities have confirmed oil leakage from the vessel.
The Royal Thai Navy has activated monitoring and containment measures, with environmental impact assessments underway to evaluate potential effects on coastal and marine ecosystems.
Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen stated that a coordinated task force has been established to oversee container recovery, pollution control and planning for potential wreck management operations.
At the time of writing, no official cause for the incident has been disclosed as investigations are ongoing.
