All crew members of a ship carrying oil that ran aground near Taitung County’s Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) were airlifted to safety yesterday as authorities investigated reports that oil might have spilled from the vessel.
The multinational crew of 19 was picked up by National Airborne Service Corps helicopters before being taken to Orchid Island off the southeastern coast between 11am and 2pm, the Lanyu Township Office said.
The sailors were examined by medical personnel at the island’s health center and were all healthy, it said.
Photo courtesy of Lai Cheng-hsien via CNA
However, Lanyu Township Office Secretary Chou Li-chu (周孋珠) said via video link that oil had been detected in waters around the island’s coast, prompting the office to request the county’s environmental protection bureau to tackle the apparent slick.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said they received a report at 4:28am from Keelung Radio that the Barbados-registered Blue Lagoon cargo ship had run aground about 18 nautical miles (33.3km) from Lanyu.
The ship ran aground amid rough conditions brought about by Typhoon Krathon while sailing from the Port of Caofeidian in China’s Hebei Province to Singapore, the CGA said, adding the skipper issued an order to abandon ship at 5:38am as water started flooding in.
At that time, the 43,498-tonne vessel was carrying 19 crew members — seven Ukrainians, nine Egyptians and three Russians — as well as 67,500 tonnes of iron ore and 227 tonnes of a type of fuel oil known as VLSFO, the CGA said.
The Blue Lagoon is not the only vessel to have run aground in Taiwanese waters over the past few months.
Tainan in particular remains on high alert since three foreign cargo ships — Dopphin, Keta and Sophia — remain grounded near the coast since July, when Taiwan was hit by Typhoon Gaemi.
According to the Tainan Environmental Protection Bureau, the dismantling of Keta is ongoing while work on Dopphin is about to begin.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS