ROYAL Thai Navy helicopters plucked three crew from the deck of a sinking cargo vessel off Phuket today while seven others were rescued by a Marine Police vessel that managed to avoid storm-tossed containers. Another six missing people, the crew of a fishing vessel, were also plucked to safety by the Navy.


PHUKET: Royal Thai Navy helicopters are airlifting 10 crew members to safety today from the deck of a cargo vessel being pounded on rocks at a nearby island.

Two choppers took turns to drop a line onto the deck of the Cambodian-registered vessel as the ship's cargo of containers were being smashed to pieces just metres away.

By early afternoon, the ship's deck was under water and awash.

The first of the rescued crew were ferried to the Navy's Cape Panwa base where a team of paramedics were standing by to treat them for any injuries and check their general condition.

The first two men rescued, a Burmese and an Indonesian, were being taken by ambulance today for further treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City.

While the dramatic rescue appeared likely to save the lives of the crew of the 793-tonne Sinaran Andaman, fears are held for six people who made a distress call from a fishing boat off Racha island to the Marine Police today and another six crew who when last heard from were building an improvised raft late yesterday as their construction barge took water.

Boats of less than 24 metres have been banned from putting to sea in the Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga region but three speedboats from Racha island this morning ferried 87 stranded passengers from the Raya Resort to Phuket in breach of the rule.

Concerns are also being expressed that Marine Police have already spent their budget for fuel, which in the past in searches for missing tourists has triggered a financial crisis.