Nine crew members of Taiwanese cargo ship Ying Hai were rescued after their vessel developed a heavy starboard list and subsequently sank in the Taiwanese Strait on Wednesday, October 3.
The ship got into trouble a day earlier after shifting of cargo caused the ship to list 15 degrees in heavy weather, the Taiwanese Coast Guard informed .
Fearing the ship might overturn, the crew requested assistance from the local authorities and a patrol boat was dispatched to the scene.
Attempts to tow the vessel by local authorities failed, and the crew had to abandon the vessel leaving it adrift.
The ship was transporting containers, and was underway from Kaohsiung city to Busan Korea when it sank south of the Penghu archipelago.
Ships navigating the area are urged to remain watchful of potential floating containers that could hamper navigation safety.
World Maritime News Staff