A fire on a Cheng Kung Class frigate docked at Kaohsiung naval base burned for more than 2.5 hours on Saturday evening, but caused limited damage to the ship.
"The serial number 1110 Cheng Kung Class frigate caught fire in a cabin in the warship's stern where some sailors' clothes and covers were stored. The location of the fire was some distance from the oil tank and main weapons on the warship, so the fire did not cause significant damage or danger," Wu Gi-fung (
"No one was hurt in the accident," Wu said.
"The warship is equipped with weapons such as Hsiung Feng II missiles and Standard I missiles, but these incurred no damage in the accident and are able to function," Wu said.
On Saturday, the navy said it took four ships one hour to keep the fire under control, according to the Central News Agency.
Wu said that on Friday afternoon the frigate completed a patrol mission in the Taiwan Strait and returned to Kaohsiung naval base. At 6:35pm on Saturday, sailors discovered that the stern of the warship was filled with smoke. At 7pm, sailors identified a cabin used to store sailors' clothes and covers as the source of the smoke.
Wu said firefighters would have been able to open the door of the cabin, but were concerned that if they did so, more oxygen would enter the cabin and increase the size of the fire.
Firefighters also worried that an explosion might occur if more oxygen entered the cabin, Wu said.
Wu said the firefighters decided to monitor the fire from outside the cabin. An hour later, at about 8pm, the blaze appeared to getting smaller and at that point firefighters broke down the door, entered the cabin. They gained control of the fire at 9pm.
According to Wu, navy investigators initially identified some welding work done by some sailors outside the cabin on Saturday afternoon as the cause of the blaze. Because the sailors had not set up protective insulation, the heat from the welding likely sparked a fire in the cabin.
Wu said the sailors were probably responsible for the accident, but that an investigation into the cause was continuing.
Wu said the warship would be removed from service until it was completely repaired.
Wu said the frigate, constructed by Chinese Marine Corp, was put into service last March. The navy currently has eight 4200-tonne Cheng Kung Class frigates.
The frigates are equipped with Hsiung Feng II missiles, Standard I missiles and MK-32 torpedoes, Wu said.
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
Theaters and institutions in Taiwan have received 28 threatening e-mails, including bomb threats, since a documentary critical of China began being screened across the nation last month, the National Security Bureau said yesterday. The actions are part of China’s attempts to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, it said. State Organs (國有器官) documents allegations that Chinese government officials engage in organ harvesting and other illegal activities. From last month to Friday last week, 28 incidents have been reported of theaters or institutions receiving threats, including bomb and shooting threats, if they did not stop showing the documentary, the bureau said. Although the threats were not carried out,
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
‘GRAY ZONE’ TACTICS: China continues to build up its military capacity while regularly deploying jets and warships around Taiwan, with the latest balloon spotted on Sunday The US is drawing up contingency plans for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in case of a Taiwan emergency, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. They would be incorporated in a first joint operation plan to be formulated in December, Kyodo reported late on Sunday, citing sources familiar with Japan-US relations. A US Marine Corps regiment that possesses High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — a light multiple rocket launcher — would be deployed along the Nansei Island chain stretching from Kyushu to Yonaguni near Taiwan, Kyodo said. According to US military guidelines for dispatching marines in small formations to several locations,
RSS