Another fire occurred on sea. Summer is the peak whale watching season for many tourists. However, a ship carrying whale watching passengers off the Hualien coast suddenly caught fire on the 13th. The fire had spread very quickly. Fortunately nearby ships immediately came to the rescue and all 44 passengers escaped without harm. The ship has been sailing for 17 year and the owner stressed that the ship has been properly maintained, with the engine replaced only about four to five years ago.


The fire is spreading quickly on a ship, generating large puffs of black smoke. At a little past 1 pm in the afternoon, a whale watching ship named "HuaTung No.2" suddenly caught on fire. Fortunately, the nearby ships came quickly to the rescue as soon as they heard the cries for help. Other than a female passenger who pulled a muscle in her upper leg, all other 43 passengers and 2 crew members escaped without any harm. However, many of the tourists were still in shock after they returned to land. The ship that caught on fire was eventually towed to the west shore by a fishing boat. The fire was subsequently put out by members from the Coast Guard Administration. The officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.