GMM Safety | 2024-07-28 | Case Accidents |
Rescue officials are searching for a cargo ship that sank off Taiwan’s southern coast during Typhoon Gaemi.
Fu Shun, a Tanzania-flagged vessel carrying nine Myanmar citizens, capsized near Kaohsiung.
The incident occurred when Typhoon Gaemi hit the region, killing many and causing severe devastation.
Taiwan’s Coastguard Administration claimed that three more foreign vessels ran aground at the time of the typhoon but were unharmed.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Philippine-flagged tanker MT Terra Nova collapsed in Manila Bay due to heavy rain and strong winds, spilling about 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista reported that sixteen crew members had been rescued, with one remaining missing.
Typhoon Gaemi made landfall along Taiwan’s east coast, killing three people and injuring hundreds.
A motorist was killed when he was struck by a falling tree, while another person died by an overturned excavator.
Over 8,000 people were temporarily relocated across the island, causing substantial infrastructural disruptions, including the cancellation of nearly all domestic flights and more than 200 international flights.
Schools and companies remained closed, while store shelves in Taipei were empty as locals prepared for price increases after the typhoon.
The typhoon also worsened rainfall in the Philippines, killing eight people. Metro Manila was declared under a state of calamity as rivers and creeks overflowed and flooded the capital district.
Gaemi is likely to decrease as it passes over Taiwan’s rough terrain before re-emerging in the Taiwan Strait. It is expected to make a second landfall in China’s Fujian province, forcing Chinese rail operators to suspend operations.
Gaemi’s impact led to the cancellation of some of Taiwan’s major yearly military drills.
The storm forced the authorities to declare a typhoon day, suspending work and classes throughout the island except the Kinmen islands.
The Central Weather Administration issued a land warning for the whole island of Taiwan. Strong winds and high seas delayed response efforts in both Taiwan and the Philippines.
As the region prepares for more consequences, rescue and recovery efforts continue despite difficult weather conditions, with authorities attempting to limit the typhoon’s impact on human life and infrastructure.
Reference: Aljazeera, BBC
