A 15,487-ton container ship broke apart and became stranded on a reef near Shihmen in New Taipei City, causing a massive oil slick.
| Accident type | Shipwreck |
| Vessel type | Container vessel |
| Enroute | Hong Kong to Keelung Port in Taiwan |
| Casualties | All 21 crew safe but relief helicopter crash killed 2 and seriously injured 1 |
A container vessel carrying full load including hazardous chemicals ran aground in a storm about 300 metres from the shore while it was sailing from Hong Kong to Keelung Port in Taiwan on March 10.
Reports say that the vessel contains around 240 tons of fuel oil and 35 tons of lube oil,and carried hazardous chemicals such as 20 tons of potassium perchlorate, 18.2 tons of toluene, 19.5 tons of fats, 8.5 tonnes of corrosive liquids and 6 tons of flammable lubricants and 11 tons of paint. On Friday the ship broke apart, releasing heavy oil into the sea.
Over 100 workers and experts from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), Resolve Marine and Nippon Salvage are on site ready to help with cleaning up the maritime mess. Their efforts have been hampered by stormy weather, which left rescue boats unable to reach the wreckage on Friday to pump the oil. The company has estimated five days to remove the fuel and lube if weather conditions improve.
Officials were able to board the ship on Sunday as weather improved. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely, but a helicopter crashed during the subsequent clean-up operation killing two and seriously injuring another.
Environmentalists have warned that if the spill is not contained in time, the shipwreck, which is near a fishing port and nuclear power plant, could damage the ecosystem for two to three years.
“Even if the oil stains can be removed swiftly, massive deaths of fish and other marine animals in the area are expected due to lack of oxygen in the water,” Michael Lee, secretary-general of the nonprofit Society of Wilderness, told AFP.
Source: SBS TV
