TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) is investigating who is responsible for alleged damage by a mortar to a whale-watching boat near the coast of Yilan County on Friday (Oct. 20).
A boat carrying 29 passengers and five crew members left a harbor in Toucheng Township around 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. As it was sailing 3 nautical miles offshore around 4 p.m., an unidentified object hit the front windshield and a steel railing on the boat before bouncing into the sea, UDN reported.
The operator, who was not on board at the time, said the military always informs ship operators about drills in the area, but had not done so this time. The MND confirmed it was test-firing mortars in the area Friday afternoon, but said that the projectiles were not loaded with explosives.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it received a notice about the drills and informed the local fishing association and the whale-watching sector not to approach the restricted test area. However, the military did not ask the CGA for ships to patrol the area and keep civilian traffic out ahead of Friday's exercises.
The CGA speculated that the whale-watching ship might have sailed too close to the firing zone, and a stray projectile could have hit it. As the alleged shrapnel sank into the sea, it will be difficult to establish the nature of the object with certainty, the report said.
The whale-watching ship did not sustain any serious damage during the incident, and was out sailing again on Saturday (Oct. 21) morning. Operators expressed concern that tourists might stay away from booking tours in the area.