12月7日晚，巴拿马籍“LIQUID GEN（液态宝石）”油轮，因主机异常加上海况恶劣，导致船舱进水倾斜，搁浅在了台中港南防沙堤外，一船员失踪。

“LIQUID GEN”长99.8米、船舶总吨4240吨，挂巴拿马旗，由香港巨龙船务公司运营。船员共15人，13人为印度尼西亚籍、两名中国海员（1人来自台湾、1人为大陆籍）。事故过程中有三名船员自救跳海，其中的一名大陆籍船员尚未获救，相关单位持续搜寻中。

据台湾海巡署报告，7日晚间11时，经由雷达监控发现“LIQUID GEN”轮在台中港西方0.5海里，以航速2节向岸际不正常航行，经与台中船舶交通服务中心确认该轮主机故障，随后确认该轮已于台中港南防砂堤搁浅。

海巡署紧急对“LIQUID GEN”轮开展救援，但因现场阵风达10级，海况极为恶劣且水深不足不利海上接驳救援，空中吊挂亦受限风力安全限制，救援行动一直被推迟。直至8日凌晨1时，救援小组当机立断协调了港区大型吊车协助以吊挂方式从岸际实施救援。

台中港务分公司表示，“LIQUID GEN”轮当时空载无货物，船上还剩余约 110 吨燃油，船舱进水，船身倾斜十五度，发电机正常运作。船上加油口在消波块旁，虽然当下没有危险，但海浪会使船身与消波块碰撞，可能造成破洞、断裂而漏油。目前当局已在岸船南侧布设拦油索、吸油棉，若海况可行，将进一步派遣潜水员查看船体水下状况，并将该船的剩余残油抽光，避免油污染。

“Liquid Gem”轮于11月中旬进入台中港接受检查。据警方称，该船自 11 月底以来一直停泊在那里，等待卸载柴油货物的许可。

Raghib Raza

On 7th December, the products tanker LIQUID GEM ran aground off the coast of Taiwan due to adverse weather. The Taiwanese coast guard has managed to rescue all but one crewmember, the search for whom is still ongoing.

The incident occurred on 7th December near Taichung Port in Taiwan. Adverse weather conditions comprising high-speed winds reaching up to Force 10 caused the vessel to drift towards the shore and run aground.

The Taiwanese Coast Guard noticed the abnormal navigation pattern of the vessel and mobilized resources when they observed the product tanker begin to move toward the coast at a speed of around 2 knots. The vessel ended up grounding on the sandy embankment south of the Taichung Port at a 15-degree angle (24°15'.4N 120°29'.3E).

Unfortunately, due to the shallow waters and high wind speeds, traditional rescue methods were not feasible. A crane from the shore was dispatched to rescue crewmembers from the vessel.

Out of the 15 crewmembers, 12 were hoisted off the vessel via crane. Three of the remaining crew members had jumped ship earlier due to fears of the vessel capsizing; two of these sailors were rescued, and one of them is still missing. The missing crewmember has been reported to be a 47-year-old Chinese national.

The incident also led to hull damage, with water flooding the engine room and causing pollution. Oil spill containment measures were swiftly deployed. The tanker has been reported to be almost empty, with around 110 tons of fuel onboard. The salvage team has sealed exhaust valves to prevent further pollution. Authorities have stated that they will finish pumping out the fuel off the vessel by 10th December.

Raghib Raza

The Yang Ming container vessel, YM UNICORN, ran aground on 11th December as it attempted to berth at the KEELUNG port in Taiwan. No crewmembers of the vessel were reported to be injured.

The incident took place around midnight close to a lighthouse near the Keelung port in Taiwan (25°09'.6N 121°45'.0E). The vessel had arrived from KAOHSIUNG and was attempting to berth at the port when the accident happened.

Keelung Port Traffic Control Center stated that the vessel deviated from its course near the red lighthouse in Dikou. It is still unknown why the vessel deviated from its course. The traffic control center promptly launched three tugs to assist the vessel.

Personnel from the port confirmed that the vessel had run aground at 3:21 AM local time on 12th December. Personnel soon boarded the stranded vessel, and the pilot reported that the forepeak tank had sustained damage, leading to water ingress.

Another four tugs were launched to assist the vessel, and with a joint effort, the vessel was pulled free into the water in 20 minutes. The vessel then subsequently berthed at the Keelung West No. 19 pier by 4:35 AM. An investigation into the incident has been opened.

YM UNICORN is a Taiwanese-flagged vessel built in 2013. The vessel has a length of 333.2 meters, a width of 42.8 meters, and a capacity of 8,626 TEU.