All crew members of a ship carrying oil that ran aground near Taitung County’s Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) were airlifted to safety yesterday as authorities investigated reports that oil might have spilled from the vessel.
The multinational crew of 19 was picked up by National Airborne Service Corps helicopters before being taken to Orchid Island off the southeastern coast between 11am and 2pm, the Lanyu Township Office said.
The sailors were examined by medical personnel at the island’s health center and were all healthy, it said.
Photo courtesy of Lai Cheng-hsien via CNA
However, Lanyu Township Office Secretary Chou Li-chu (周孋珠) said via video link that oil had been detected in waters around the island’s coast, prompting the office to request the county’s environmental protection bureau to tackle the apparent slick.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said they received a report at 4:28am from Keelung Radio that the Barbados-registered Blue Lagoon cargo ship had run aground about 18 nautical miles (33.3km) from Lanyu.
The ship ran aground amid rough conditions brought about by Typhoon Krathon while sailing from the Port of Caofeidian in China’s Hebei Province to Singapore, the CGA said, adding the skipper issued an order to abandon ship at 5:38am as water started flooding in.
At that time, the 43,498-tonne vessel was carrying 19 crew members — seven Ukrainians, nine Egyptians and three Russians — as well as 67,500 tonnes of iron ore and 227 tonnes of a type of fuel oil known as VLSFO, the CGA said.
The Blue Lagoon is not the only vessel to have run aground in Taiwanese waters over the past few months.
Tainan in particular remains on high alert since three foreign cargo ships — Dopphin, Keta and Sophia — remain grounded near the coast since July, when Taiwan was hit by Typhoon Gaemi.
According to the Tainan Environmental Protection Bureau, the dismantling of Keta is ongoing while work on Dopphin is about to begin.
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