TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 74,000 ton cargo ship was preparing to berth at the Port of Kaohsiung on Monday (March 20), when it failed to slow down and collided with the wharf.
Video taken from inside the ship and posted on New-Reporter.com showed a foreign crew member administering a breathalyzer test to the pilot. The initial reading was a blood alcohol level of 0.69 milligrams per liter, but crew members could be heard complaining to the pilot that he had not properly exhaled.
Officers from the Kaohsiung Harbor Police Department later administered another breathalyzer test on the pilot and the result was a blood alcohol level of 0.19 mg/l, reported TVBS.
Some of the damage inflicted on the wharf from the collision. (Kaohsiung Harbor Police photo)
In a press release issued on Tuesday (March 21), Director of Port Affairs at the Port of Kaohsiung Kuo Kuang-hui (郭光輝) said the ship's speed exceeded six knots.
The VTS signal station controller used VHF radio, calling four times within one minute, to warn the pilot, but there was no response. The ship then crashed into Pier 77, causing damage to terminal facilities, upon which Kuo said they will "seek compensation."
The Maritime and Port Bureau said the pilot did have alcohol in his system, but he was not "driving" the ship but rather "consulting" with the captain, reported Liberty Times. Unlike the blood alcohol limit of 0.15 mg/l for drivers of motor vehicles in Taiwan, there is no comparable regulation for maritime pilots because they are not considered "drivers."
The Maritime and Port Bureau and the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board are conducting a joint investigation. If found guilty of a violation, the pilot's license will be suspended for three months to two years in accordance with Article 38 of the Pilotage Law.
On Wednesday (March 22), Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said starting now, maritime pilots must undergo a breathalyzer test before navigating.
