Marine and Fisheries 

Cargo ship explosion and fire injures 3: crew abandons ship in south Taiwan waters

cargo ship on fire after explosion
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , , ,

Three injured crew members were airlifted from a burning cargo ship after an explosion, and the rest of the crew abandoned ship in waters south of Taiwan earlier today, June 12.

According to reports, an explosion occurred on the Taiwanese-flagged general cargo ship HUI FENG around 17 nautical miles offshore of the south embankment of the Port of Kaohsiung at around 8:00 am. Among the crew of 12, three people were injured, two seriously.

The two seriously injured crew members were airlifted by National Airborne Service Corps helicopters and sent to hospital. The rest of the crew were rescued by Coast Guard patrol vessels.

a crewmember is airlifted by National Airborne Service Corps helicopter
A crewmember is airlifted from cargo ship by National Airborne Service Corps helicopter.

Reports say a fierce fire erupted following the initial explosion. The crew attempted to extinguish the fire, but it continued to spread, and they were forced to abandon efforts after around one hour. The 10 remaining crew aboard were picked up by coast guard ships.

Of the two seriously injured crew, one is Taiwanese and one is Indonesian. Another Indonesian man suffered minor burns.

Coast Guard and Navy vessels are monitoring the drifting cargo ship, which has 45 tons of diesel fuel aboard.

crew of cargo ship on fire prepare to abandon ship
Crew prepares to abandon ship. Picture credit: National Coast Guard Administration.
crew prepare to board coast guard vessel
Crew of cargo ship transfer to coast guard patrol boat. Picture credit: National Coast Guard Administration.
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One thought on “Cargo ship explosion and fire injures 3: crew abandons ship in south Taiwan waters”

  • Jim Angeltown
    June 13, 2024 at 12:50 am
    Permalink

    This article’s lack of a theory, or explanation regarding the explosion
    could be construed as quite telling, due to China’s recent war games.

    Reply

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