Efforts are being made to stabilize the wreck of a ship off Taiwan’s northern coast before the arrival of a typhoon.
The container ship TS Taipei ran aground off Keelung in March when it lost power in a storm. The ship’s hull split in the middle, releasing its fuel into the coastal waters. The process of salvaging the ship’s cargo is ongoing. But there are concerns over the imminent approach of Typhoon Nepartak, the first typhoon of the summer to potentially threaten Taiwan.
Premier Lin Chuan on Tuesday traveled to the north coast to oversee work to make the ship secure before the storm hits.
Lin said, "The typhoon is coming. The TS Taipei has been stranded for some time. Since March 10 the first task has been to clean up the pollution, then remove the ship’s cargo before finally moving the ship itself. But with the typhoon approaching we are pressed for time. Today we are looking to secure the ship to ensure that there will not be further pollution or harm from the ship as a result of the storm."
Tropical storm Nepartak strengthened into a typhoon on Monday evening and is forecast to strike parts of East Asia later in the week.