Heavy transport vessel runs aground battered by typhoon off Taiwan
Only a couple of weeks after it collided with an STS crane at Keelung Port’s Pier 20 causing the crane to collapse, the heavy transport vessel Yu Zhou Qi Hang fell victim to the typhoon off Taiwan.
The Environmental Protection Department of New Taipei City noted that on October 29, the vessel lost power as it was attempting to leave Keelung Port, setting course to China with three container cranes onboard. The Taiwanese Coast Guard informed that the Yu Zhou Qi Hang was stranded some 2.4 miles north-northwest of Yeliu Cape, as it was battered by strong winds and sea currents, caused by the approaching typhoon Kangrul. The Coast Guard completed the operation of evacuating the 17 crew onboard the vessel.
While attempts were made to aid the heavy transport vessel, however, due to the adverse conditions the tug dispatched from the mainland abandoned the vessel. It finally dropped anchor some 0.6 miles from the shore in an attempt to stop it from drifting further, as can be seen from the footage released by the media.
However, the images published by the Environmental Protection Department show the vessel has drifted aground with significant damage, both to the cargo and the vessel itself. The authorities are monitoring the situation and taking pollution prevention measures.
According to the department, the heavy transport vessel Yu Zhou Qi Hang had 247 tons of heavy oil and 37 tons of light oil on board. Preliminary inspection showed no oil spill, with authorities continuing to monitor the situation.
