The final investigative report on a ship collision in the Port of Taipei on Monday night should be released in November, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board said yesterday during a legislative session.
The accident happened when Hong Kong-registered cargo ship the Godspeed allegedly collided with the port’s pilot boat.
The pilot boat, which guides ships in and out of the port, capsized after it was damaged.
The accident killed the boat’s captain, surnamed Yang (楊), and a crew member surnamed Lee (李).
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷), who represents New Taipei City’s first electoral district, asked board Chairman Young Hong-tsu (楊宏智) why the final report would not be released before November when the Maritime and Port Bureau said that it could complete its investigation in seven days.
He also asked Young what the board would do if the two agencies reached different conclusions about the accident, and whether the board could speed up its process.
Young said that three investigations, not just one, needed to be completed for shipping accidents.
The bureau investigates whether administrative procedures were followed, which does not take long to complete, Young said.
However, prosecutors and judges investigate whether the accident was a criminal offense, where the party at fault could face a punishment.
“The board is conducting a maritime safety investigation, where we examine the sea vessels’ procedures, management, operating systems and design, among other things. We follow the regulations set out by the International Maritime Organization, and the conclusions of our investigation will not be made public until they are approved by the board,” Young said, adding that these procedures were established by the Aviation Safety Council, which was later expanded into the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board.
The board’s investigation would not conflict with investigations conducted by other government agencies, Young added.
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