A substantial container vessel, Angel, went down outside the Kaohsiung Port on the morning of Friday, having begun to fill with water a day prior.
The ship, registered under the Palau flag, was tilting heavily to its port side on Thursday. Despite the rescue efforts made by the Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC), in charge of the Kaohsiung Port, the ship unfortunately submerged from the stern, leaving only its bow visible.
Consequently, a substantial number of containers were lost to the sea, as per the Liberty Times report.
The TIPC indicated that the Angel boasted a total tonnage of 16,145 tons. The ship had requested permission for a temporary anchorage on the west side of the Port of Kaohsiung’s second anchorage area at 8:46 p.m. on July 4.
This area is roughly 2.8 nautical miles (or 5 kilometers) from the port’s south breakwater.
However, on Thursday, the Angel began to lean excessively, prompting the captain to command an evacuation of the ship. The TIPC then alerted the Coast Guard to aid in the safe evacuation of all 19 crew members onboard.
One crew member sustained injuries during the ordeal, requiring hospital treatment, but the injuries sustained are not thought to be critical.
