TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A report published in late January found that a container ship that sank off Kaohsiung in 2023 was unsafe, and that Palau, the country where the ship was registered, knew this and did not notify Taiwan authorities.
The Transportation Safety Board report stated the ship Angel had not docked for a safety inspection in more than five years when it sank. It also found the ship’s owner and management company had not completed a safety audit as requested by a ship classification society within a specified timeframe.
The report found that water accumulated in the ship's cargo hold in the weeks before it sank due to a lack of maintenance. It stated that on July 20, 2023, the water flooded the ship's generator, and this, combined with a blocked fuel line, caused the ship to lose power, preventing water from being pumped out.
The report also found that the ship’s full cargo load prevented the crew from entering the area to solve the problem. It stated that once incoming water had caused the ship to list 45 degrees, more water rushed in, sinking it on July 21, 2023.
The ship’s 19 Azerbaijani crew members were certified by competent authorities, and there was no evidence that crew fatigue or other related factors contributed to the sinking, the report stated. It also said that weather, obstructions, or collisions did not cause the sinking.
However, the board’s report found that the crew was replaced shortly before the sinking. It also found that the management company, Zulu Shipping, had safety procedures in place but did not properly inform the new crew of them.
All crew members were rescued from the ship, though the sinking sent hundreds of shipping containers into the water around the Port of Kaohsiung. The Kaohsiung Port Company said in February 2023 that it would seek over NT$300 million (US$9.09 million) in compensation for losses caused by the sinking.
The Transportation Safety Board also found that the ship’s country of registration, Palau, knew the Angel was unseaworthy 10 days before the incident but did not inform Taiwan authorities. The Angel’s shipping agent, S5 Asia Limited (伍航), was also aware of its condition but failed to notify Taiwan, the report said.
The board recommended the transport ministry’s Maritime Port Bureau maintain communication with the Palau International Ship Registry regarding ships with “doubtful seaworthiness.” It also recommended that the Palau body notify relevant authorities if they have any doubts about a ship’s condition.
