Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) yesterday asked Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) to quickly remove 110 empty shipping containers stranded near the Port of Kaohsiung before Typhoon Doksuri approaches southern Taiwan today.
The containers were among hundreds that fell into the ocean after the Palau-flagged ship Angel sank on Friday last week while anchored off the Port of Kaohsiung.
Of the 1,349 containers that were on the ship, 776 sank with the ship and 160 sank after floating on the ocean for some time, TIPC data showed.
Photo: CNA
A total of 216 containers have been taken to the Port of Kaohsiung, Yenpu Fishing Port and Nanshin Bay, while 87 sank while being tugged to shore, the state-run company said, adding that 110 containers were stranded on the beach and concrete wave breakers near the Port of Kaohsiung.
“TIPC is now focusing on the 110 containers stranded on the coastal area... They are racing against time and would quickly complete the removal of these containers,” Wang said, adding that the port company was asked to take pictures of each stranded container.
Marine experts said that the sunken ship would not create safety concerns for ships navigating around the area when Doksuri approaches, Wang said.
Rogue waves stirred up by the typhoon would only affect waters about 10m deep, but Angel sank 37m, he said.
The port company said the stranded containers should be completely removed by this morning.
To prevent the shipwreck from causing an oil spill in the ocean, a 720m-long oil-stop line and a 130m-long oil-absorbing cotton rope were set up around the sunken vessel on Friday, the company said.
“Although the ship’s crew had closed the oil valve before abandoning the ship, there was slight oil leakage from the vent hole of the oil tank on the starboard side and the maintenance cover at the stern. The leakage was successfully contained over the weekend,” it said.
Divers were sent to re-examine the hull yesterday, and no leakage of oil or diesel was detected, it said.
The company said that it is scheduled to pump the oil out of the oil tank when weather permits, adding that it would take about one-and-a-half months to complete.
The Maritime and Port Bureau would issue a navigation warning to ships that the area is temporarily closed for anchoring due to the sunken vessel, Wang said.
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