Panama-Flagged Cargo Vessel Runs Aground; Crew Members Abandon The Ship

The 14-member crew of a cargo vessel had to be airlifted when it had run aground after encountering an unexpected mechanical failure on 17 October in Penghu County.

Image Credits: cga.gov.tw

Magong Signal Station (Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration) got a distress call from the crew members of the Panamanian ship, Xinyan Fortune, around 9.25 am. They informed that the vessel had gone adrift and it had lost power. The vessel was about 7 nm northeast of Jibei Island.

The crew of the Panamanian freighter attempted to anchor the vessel, but swells and strong winds prevented it from maintaining a fixed and stable position. It continued drifting until it finally ran aground around 3 pm on the northern shoal of the Jibei Island.

Image Credits: cga.gov.tw

A helicopter along with three patrol boats was sent off by the coast guard for rescuing the crew members. However, strong winds compelled these to return.

The action was executed in two rounds. The crew was flown to the Penghu Airport and then taken to a hospital for coronavirus PCR testing.

Image Credits: cga.gov.tw

The Xinyan Fortune departed from Fuzhou, China, and was passing through the Taiwan Strait when the mechanical failure happened. The area was in a northeast monsoon front, receiving high winds and experiencing rough seas.

Reference: cga.gov.tw

Panama-Flagged Cargo Vessel Runs Aground; Crew Members Abandon The Ship appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News