A ship transporting cargo from Taitung to Orchid Island sank early Tuesday after it was struck by a large merchant vessel off Green Island, but all nine crew members were safely rescued, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).
In a press release, the CGA's 15th Offshore Flotilla said it received an emergency call at 12:52 a.m. about a collision between the Da Fa No. 1, a 284-tonne Taiwanese general cargo ship, and the LIA, a 73,723-tonne Liberian cargo ship, 12 nautical miles southwest of Green Island.
The Coast Guard dispatched two vessels to the scene, the first of which arrived at 1:18 a.m. to find the hull of the Da Fa No. 1 almost completely submerged.
The ship's nine crew members -- eight Taiwanese and one Indonesian -- were rescued by Coast Guard personnel from a life raft, the CGA said.
Hsu Chih-hsiung (???), a manager at Shin Fa Marine Co., which owns the Da Fa No. 1, told CNA that the vessel had been "struck in the side" by the Liberian ship, as it was bringing cargo from Taitung's Fugang Harbor to Orchid Island.
The Coast Guard said it had ordered the LIA to remain in port while it collects evidence, which will be sent to the Maritime and Port Bureau for an investigation into the incident.
As of Tuesday morning, no oil slicks had been discovered in the vicinity of the sunken ship, according to the CGA.
Meanwhile, the Taitung County government said it would arrange to send a substitute cargo ship, as well as use passenger vessels to transport some basic consumer staples, to ensure Green Island and Orchid Island do not face product shortages as a result of the ship sinking.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel