Taiwan Navy Vessel Involved in Collision with Chinese Fishing Boat

Incident Raises Questions in Taiwan Strait, But No Injuries Reported

Taipei, March 27 – In the early hours of Thursday, a vessel belonging to the Taiwanese Navy was involved in a collision with a Chinese fishing boat in waters off central Taiwan. The incident, while concerning, resulted in no reported injuries.

According to a statement released by Taiwan's Naval Fleet Command, the Chung Ho-class tank landing ship, identified by hull number LST-232, made contact with the Chinese-registered fishing vessel "Min Lien Yu 61756" at approximately 12:38 a.m. The collision occurred roughly 45 nautical miles from the Port of Taichung.

The Taiwanese Navy confirmed that the vessel sustained unspecified damage. However, they also stated that the damage did not pose a threat to the ship's operational safety. Importantly, the statement noted that there were no injuries reported on either the Taiwanese naval vessel or the Chinese fishing boat.

Following the incident, and at the request of the Navy, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched two patrol vessels to the scene. Their primary responsibility is to manage the situation and gather evidence, which will be used in the ongoing investigation.