Typhoon Gaemi causes 6 maritime incidents near Taiwan

Taipei, July 25 (CNA) Typhoon Gaemi has caused six maritime incidents around Taiwan, with the crew of five of the grounded vessels safe and at no risk of an oil spill.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Typhoon Gaemi affected six cargo ships close to Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. One of those is the missing Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship "FU SHUN," the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) said in a press release.

OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday that the missing vessel had nine Burmese crew members, with three confirmed survivors. The search for the remaining crew is ongoing.

Kuan added that the initial rescue attempt by the Coast Guard with a 100-ton vessel, was hindered by the severe weather, including force 10 (89-102 km per hour) to 11 winds and poor visibility. Another Taiwanese vessel also reached the scene but found no survivors or signs of the missing ship.

A total of 58 crew members from the five grounded ships are safe. Rescue operations will continue as weather permits, and resources are being prepared to deal with a potential oil spill, Kuan added.

The Ocean Conservation Administration has initiated satellite monitoring and pollution simulations, coordinating with local authorities to manage potential pollution.

OAC Deputy Minister Huang Hsiang-wen (黃向文) said the Coast Guard's Southern Branch has established an emergency response center, with patrol command centers monitoring the situation and coordinating their responses.

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