Six crew members are missing from an oil tanker that sank off the coast of Sattahip in Chon Buri on Wednesday morning.

The First Naval Area Command has begun a search and rescue operation to find the missing crew members of the Venus 14, while also preparing for a possibility of an oil spill.

The Thai-registered fishing fuel-supply vessel sank approximately 27 nautical miles from the entrance to Sattahip Naval Base, according to the Royal Thai Navy.

A navy patrol boat and a maritime surveillance aircraft are searching for the missing crew and the sunken vessel. Authorities have also issued warnings to other vessels in nearby waters.

The navy is coordinating with the Marine Department to prepare for potential pollution from an oil spill. It was not known how much fuel the ship was carrying when it went down.

The navy tugboat HTMS Panyi and a helicopter have also been placed on standby, with personnel and oil-spill response equipment ready if needed.