Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
Nighttime Implosion of the Maritime Giant “Angel” Disrupts Entry of Other Ships at an Important Asian Port
Thursday, July 21, marked the onset of a maritime catastrophe when a container ship in the Kaohsiung port in Taiwan began to sink irreparably. The frantic attempt to stabilize the anchored ship near the port entrance proved ineffective. The vessel, which had been evacuated on Thursday, continued to take on water, eventually submerging with oil inside on Friday, spreading empty containers across the busy waterway.
Port officials were forced to halt traffic at one of the entrances to Kaohsiung on Thursday, and a second entrance was suspended while they struggled to contain more than 1,300 containers aboard the ship. Port operations were only partially resumed, with danger warnings issued due to the presence of the containers.
Facing the Chaos: Actions of the Authorities and Threats to Fishing and Navigation
To the south, coastal authorities also issued warnings to the fishing industry and navigation vessels, forecasting that the containers would likely cause disruptions in their waterways.
-
Elevator Plummets From Tenth Floor in Commercial Building in Recife, Raising Concerns About Safety and Engineering of Vertical Transport Systems Used Daily in Urban Buildings
-
Cyclist Hit by Car in Sobradinho, DF Is Rescued After Traffic Accident This Sunday
-
Civil Defense Issues Alert and Advises Evacuation in 51 Streets of Juiz de Fora After Risk of Instability; See the Complete List of Affected Neighborhoods
-
Military Plane With Money Crashes In Bolivia, Leaves 20 Dead And Leads Central Bank To Annul 10, 20, And 50 Bolivianos Notes After Chaos At Airport
The “Angel”, a veteran 21-year-old container ship, had been anchored about 2.8 nautical miles from Kaohsiung since its arrival from Dalian, China, on July 4. On the fateful Thursday morning, the ship’s captain communicated a state of emergency to the port crew and ordered the 19 crew members to abandon the vessel. Rescue efforts were immediately initiated, transferring the crew to the shore and port and attempting to stabilize the ship.
The fate of the ship and details regarding ownership and recent operations remain uncertain. Equasis, a maritime information database, identifies Navramar Shipping, from the Marshall Islands, as the ship’s owner, acquired in May 2023. The vessel was registered in Palau, and management is listed as based in Azerbaijan. However, reports from the database indicate that the ship was removed from the Indian registry and by DNV in early June, leaving the ship’s current classification unknown.
The Struggle Continues: Monitoring and Responsibilities of the Owner
The port authority, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, is monitoring the area around the sunken ship. Nearly 500 tons of low-sulfur fuel and light diesel were aboard, necessitating the deployment of oil containment barriers.
By law, the owner of the vessel is required to submit a salvage plan to the port. Authorities are requesting the managers to provide a plan for removing the oil from the ship, dealing with the floating containers in the waterways, and for the eventual refloating and removal of the hull. The chaos plaguing the Kaohsiung port underscores the ongoing need for safety and planning in the maritime industry.
Seja o primeiro a reagir!