The captain of the Kuan-kuang Hao (
Duty-related
"The captain of the boat, Tai Feng-kuan (
"Tai and other staff on the boat did not demonstrate to the passengers how to wear life jackets once they boarded the boat. In addition, prosecutors will look into whether the boat was equipped with enough life jackets for every passenger," Chuang added.
Good record
Chuang said that Tai, a 60-year-old senior-level sailor, has sailed boats for 11 years and has no record of using drugs or alcohol while on the job.
On Sunday at 12:20pm, Tai steered the Kuan-kuang Hao, out of Tungkang (東港) Township, bound for Hsiao Liuchiu (小琉球) island with 131 passengers and seven crew on board.
Blaze spread
Ten minutes into the journey a fire broke out. As the blaze spread, some passengers panicked and jumped into the water.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched 10 rescue boats, but four people drowned before the vessels reached the scene, including the owner of the ship, 52-year-old Chang Chien-Kun (
More than 30 passengers were injured in the accident.
Jumped
Chang handed out all of the boat's available life jackets before jumping into the water without a life vest, passengers said on Sunday.
Two hours after the fire started, the boat sunk in waters near Hsiao Liuchiu.
Chang said the prosecutors' office has discussed the possibility of raising the boat with the Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the CGA.
If prosecutors are unable to examine the boat, it will make the investigation more difficult, Chuang said.
Chuang said that according to the ship's crew and the passengers, the fire had started in the boat's engine, and spread after diesel oil stored on board caught on fire.
No monitoring
Passengers also told prosecutors that none of the boat's crew had been monitoring the engine room, and so no one noticed the fire before it got too big, Chuang said.
Chuang said that according to the passengers, the ship's fire extinguishers did not work.
Prosecutors are investigating these allegations.
The Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau on Sunday said the 143-tonne Kuan-kuang Hao had sailed for 11 years without incident. It passed a safety check in May.
Chuang said the office will also look into whether officials of the bureau are at fault in the accident.
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