Written By Lisa Murimi
Rescue officials in Taiwan are urgently searching for a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship with nine Myanmar nationals aboard that sunk off the southern coast near Kaohsiung.
The incident occurred as Typhoon Gaemi struck the region, bringing devastating winds and rain.
The storm has also caused significant damage in the Philippines, where the MT Terra Nova tanker, carrying 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel, capsized in Manila Bay.
Sixteen crew members were rescued, but one remains missing, according to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. The oil spill from the tanker now stretches several kilometers, complicating rescue and cleanup efforts.
In Taiwan, Typhoon Gaemi made landfall on the east coast, leading to three deaths and hundreds of injuries.
The powerful storm forced the cancellation of military drills and numerous flights. Taiwan’s Coastguard Administration reported that three other foreign vessels ran aground but remained safe.
The storm’s impact extends beyond Taiwan. In the Philippines, the typhoon exacerbated rainy conditions, resulting in eight deaths and extensive flooding in Metro Manila, prompting a state of calamity declaration.
As Gaemi moves towards China, it is expected to weaken over Taiwan’s mountainous terrain before making a second landfall in Fujian province. The storm has already disrupted rail operations in southeastern China, with further impacts anticipated.
