Twelve feared dead after two gravel carriers capsize in Taiwan Strait

A total of 12 people are feared to have died after two cargo ships capsized off Taiwan on Sunday, October 6.

The trouble began on the morning (local time) of Sunday when the gravel carriers Jialiang and Donghong encountered rough seas while sailing through the Taiwan Strait.

The crews sent out distress calls to the Taiwan National Rescue Command Center and the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) just as large waves caused their vessels to list heavily and ultimately capsize.

A TCGA patrol vessel as well as other vessels from mainland China were despatched to the scene to render assistance to the distressed sailors. Thirteen people have been successfully rescued.

Taiwanese authorities are continuing their search for 12 crewmembers who had gone missing following the capsizings.

A coast guard official said Jialiang and Donghong were both flat-bottomed river vessels and thus should not have been sailing in the open sea.