Ports in the Pearl River Delta stopped accepting containers as China’s National Meteorological Center issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Koinu. Modern Terminals, which owns and operates terminals in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Taicang, stopped delivering and collecting less-than-container-load cargoes yesterday (8 October) as Hong Kong issued Storm Signal Number 9.
Hutchison Ports’ Yantian International Container Terminals has suspended the collection of empty containers since 8 pm local time on 6 October, after Hong Kong Observatory issued a blue alert for Typhoon Koinu, the 14th typhoon of this year.
Shipping routes to Shekou and Nansha, both major container ports in Guangdong province, have been suspended since 6 October too.
Japanese ship agency TST Corporation, which represents Evergreen Marine Corporation in the country, advised customers that the Taiwanese line’s Ever Compose will arrive in Tokyo tomorrow (10 October), a delay of four to five days, due to congestion in Ho Chi Minh City and Typhoon Koinu will hold up the vessel’s berthing in China’s Shekou port prior to calling Tokyo. The 1,984 TEU Ever Compose is assigned to Evergreen’s North East Asia – South East Asia Service.
A Mongolia-flagged general cargo ship, Win 198, has been drifting off Taiwan’s Dongju island, after suffering water ingress and listing as Typhoon Koinu lashed the area.
Taiwan’s Maritime Port Bureau received a report about the distressed vessel around 4.45 am local time on 6 October, as the Win 198 crew radioed to request entry to the nearest port. The ship then dropped anchor near the breakwater outside Matsu’s Meng’ao port area.
As wind strength reached level 8 due to the typhoon, it was impossible for the coast guard to reach the stricken ship. At 6.40am local time, the Win 198 captain informed the MPB that the crew had to abandon the vessel, and the men jumped onto a nearby work craft. The seafarers were then retrieved by the coast guard and brought ashore.
MPB said that it will contact the owner of Win 198, Hong Kong-registered Tai Run International Shipping, to work on recovering the vessel.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
