This is the dramatic moment a cargo ship sank on an overflowing river during severe floods across Thailand.

The ship was being pulled by five tugboats across the muddy water after heavy rain when it lost balance in Ayutthaya province’s Pa Sak river on September 29.

It then tilted sideways while appearing to make a turn and slowly sank while its captain Somchai Thankul, 62, and his wife Narumon were still inside.

The local rescue team was called on the scene to search for the couple who were still missing despite the ship being recovered two days later.

Shocked onlooker Yuphin Saisuson, 36, said: ‘I travelled to the temple to pay homage to the monk. I saw five tugboats tow four heavy cargo ships behind them before seeing one of them sink so I took my phone out and recorded.’

After eight hours, rescue divers were able to find the shipwreck around 500 metres away from the point of the accident and 20 metres below the river before it was pulled up by bigger ships.

A female body was retrieved near the area but relatives were yet to identify if it was the wife of the captain. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

At least seven people have been killed while more than 10 provinces in Thailand, have been inundated by tropical storm Dianmu, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of Thailand. The Thai Meteorological Department said rainfall is expected to subside within the week.

Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are in the middle of their tropical monsoon rainy season, which lasts until October or November. Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods.