Foreign Cargo Ship Sinks as Typhoon Gemi Hits Taiwan, 9 Crew Members Missing

Typhoon Kemi, also known as Gaemi internationally, set out to sea this morning, according to the Central Disaster Response Center. Near the coast of Taiwan, Portuguese and Indonesian cargo ships ran aground, and the Tanzanian cargo ship FU-SHUN tilted and sank 19 nautical miles off the coast of Kaohsiung, with 9 crew members falling overboard.

The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan announced at 1:15 pm today that the center of the moderate typhoon Gaemi was located at 25.0 degrees north latitude and 119.9 degrees east longitude at 1 pm, approximately 130 kilometers south of Matsu Island, moving at a speed of 11 to 19 kilometers per hour towards the northwest.

The Central Weather Bureau stated that based on the latest meteorological data, Typhoon Kemi has weakened in intensity over the past 3 hours and is moving slowly. Its center is currently positioned south of Matsu Island, moving northwest. The storm circle still covers areas north of Kaohsiung, the eastern half, and the Penghu, Matsu, and Kinmen islands, with continued strong winds and rain. Pingtung also needs to remain vigilant. It is expected that the intensity of the typhoon will continue to weaken in the future.

This morning, the Taiwan Central Disaster Response Center held its 7th working meeting, chaired by Commander and Minister of the Interior Shih-Fang Liu. The center reported that Typhoon Kemi has caused 2 deaths and 279 injuries, including 72 in Kaohsiung City, 43 in Tainan City, and 32 each in Taichung City and Hualien County.

The Central Disaster Response Center noted that near Taiwan’s coast, the Portuguese cargo ship SOPFIA ran aground off Anping, Tainan, with all crew members safe. The Indonesian cargo ship IRIANA also ran aground 1 nautical mile off Fangshan with 20 Indonesian crew members aboard, no oil spills, and crew members unharmed. Meanwhile, the Tanzanian cargo ship FU-SHUN, located 19 nautical miles off Kaohsiung Harbor, tilted and sank, leading to 9 crew members falling overboard. Nearby vessels have been notified to assist. Lastly, the Portuguese cargo ship HEDWIG OLDENDORFF signaled distress approximately 52 nautical miles southwest of Kaohsiung Harbor, confirming all crew members safe.