A fire on a Cheng Kung Class frigate docked at Kaohsiung naval base burned for more than 2.5 hours on Saturday evening, but caused limited damage to the ship.
"The serial number 1110 Cheng Kung Class frigate caught fire in a cabin in the warship's stern where some sailors' clothes and covers were stored. The location of the fire was some distance from the oil tank and main weapons on the warship, so the fire did not cause significant damage or danger," Wu Gi-fung (
"No one was hurt in the accident," Wu said.
"The warship is equipped with weapons such as Hsiung Feng II missiles and Standard I missiles, but these incurred no damage in the accident and are able to function," Wu said.
On Saturday, the navy said it took four ships one hour to keep the fire under control, according to the Central News Agency.
Wu said that on Friday afternoon the frigate completed a patrol mission in the Taiwan Strait and returned to Kaohsiung naval base. At 6:35pm on Saturday, sailors discovered that the stern of the warship was filled with smoke. At 7pm, sailors identified a cabin used to store sailors' clothes and covers as the source of the smoke.
Wu said firefighters would have been able to open the door of the cabin, but were concerned that if they did so, more oxygen would enter the cabin and increase the size of the fire.
Firefighters also worried that an explosion might occur if more oxygen entered the cabin, Wu said.
Wu said the firefighters decided to monitor the fire from outside the cabin. An hour later, at about 8pm, the blaze appeared to getting smaller and at that point firefighters broke down the door, entered the cabin. They gained control of the fire at 9pm.
According to Wu, navy investigators initially identified some welding work done by some sailors outside the cabin on Saturday afternoon as the cause of the blaze. Because the sailors had not set up protective insulation, the heat from the welding likely sparked a fire in the cabin.
Wu said the sailors were probably responsible for the accident, but that an investigation into the cause was continuing.
Wu said the warship would be removed from service until it was completely repaired.
Wu said the frigate, constructed by Chinese Marine Corp, was put into service last March. The navy currently has eight 4200-tonne Cheng Kung Class frigates.
The frigates are equipped with Hsiung Feng II missiles, Standard I missiles and MK-32 torpedoes, Wu said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS