Taiwanese rescue personnel are currently searching for a downed cargo ship believed to have sunk off the southern coast of the island nation with nine crew members aboard. The freighter, flagged in Tanzania, was floating near Kaohsiung, a southern port city, when Typhoon Gaemi struck the region.
Typhoon Gaemi not only battered Taiwan but also inundated the Philippines with torrential rains. In the Philippines, the storm’s winds and rough waters capsized a tanker loaded with about 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel. The vessel, MT Terra Nova, which is Philippine-flagged, carried sixteen crew members at the time of the accident. It capsized in Manila Bay during its voyage to Ilolio, leaving an oil spill that stretched along the surface of the ocean for several kilometers.
Philippine Secretary of Transportation Jamie Bautista stated that all but one of the sailors have been rescued from the tumultuous waters. However, high waves and strong winds are hampering the government’s continued search efforts and their response to the oil spill. The MT Terra Nova has now fully submerged. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the severe typhoon played a role in the incident.
Overall, Gaemi killed eight people as it carved its path of destruction through the Philippines. The typhoon moved on to Taiwan soon after and made landfall on Taiwan’s east coast on Wednesday the 24th. The storm was severe enough to injure hundreds of Taiwanese citizens, and three people on the island were killed in the disaster.
Once the storm is done with Taiwan, it is expected to move across the water to mainland China and make landfall a second time. According to Taiwan’s Coastguard Administration, the capsized freighter Fu Shun’s crew of nine hailed from Myanmar. The typhoon also ran three foreign vessels aground on Taiwan’s land, but those vessels and their crews appear to be in no immediate danger.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration has issued a land warning covering the entire island. The search for the downed cargo ship continues as rescue personnel navigate challenging conditions in hopes of finding the missing crew members.