According to local news, on 21st July, a containership sunk near the entrance to Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port, leaving on the surface hundreds of floating containers. Efforts to stabilize it failed overnight.
As informed, the Angel, a 21-year-old containership had been anchored approximately 2.8 nautical miles outside Kaohsiung since arriving from Dalian, China on July 4.
Residents told the media the ship had been tilting all week and they had watched as the list grew more severe. Thursday morning the master of the vessel reported to harbor officials that this situation was dangerous and that the 19 crew had been ordered to abandon ship.
As explained, they were transferred to shore while salvage efforts sought to stabilize the ship.
Details about the ship’s ownership and recent operations are unclear.
The port authority working with the Coast Guard reports they are monitoring the area around the sunken ship.
In conclusion, officials said they are asking the managers for a plan to remove the oil from the ship, address the containers floating in the waterways, and for the eventual refloating and removal of the hulk.
According to the information of other foreign website, the ship was sailed last two months (after end-May 2023) without proper “Protection and indemnity” coverage. And there is also question why there are no port state inspections carried after it’s flag changed (since end-May 2023, and the port involved including Colombo, Hong Kong & Dalian), prior arrival Kaohsiung? My two cents. (PS. the ship is never carried any port state inspection since 2018).