PINGTUNG: Four injured crew members on a Marshall Islands-registered cargo ship that caught fire off the Pingtung coast have been airlifted to safety, while the other 17 crew members remain on board as of early Sunday afternoon, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

According to Focus Taiwan, CGA official Huang Liang-wei stated in a joint media interview Sunday that preparations were being made to tow the disabled ship into the port of Kaohsiung by Monday at noon, with the 17 crew members aboard. The incident began when a fire broke out in the engine room of the cargo ship, Panoria, causing it to lose power.

The crew managed to extinguish the fire, but not before one crew member suffered serious burns and three others sustained minor injuries. The CGA received reports of the incident at 5 p.m. Saturday. Despite adverse weather and choppy seas, the injured were airlifted from the ship at about 7 p.m. Saturday and transported to the Kaohsiung International Airport, then rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Efforts to rescue the remaining crew were hindered by difficult sea conditions. Huang mentioned that at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, a tug vessel, the Salvage Rigger, sailed to the scene escorted by CGA ships.

The cargo ship is expected to arrive in Kaohsiung by Monday noon. The CGA had initially received a distress signal from the cargo ship, located 23 nautical miles southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, at about 5 p.m. Saturday. The signal indicated a fire in the engine room and requested rescue for the 21 crew members.

Five ships, including the Anping, were dispatched to the scene to conduct the rescue operation. The Anping reached the area at 6 p.m. and established radio contact with the cargo ship. The rescue was complicated by high waves and challenges in aligning the rescue and cargo ships.

The Ministry of National Defense's search and rescue aircraft arrived around 7 p.m. Saturday to transport the injured, leaving the remaining crew on board. The CGA continues to monitor the situation and has coordinated with the Maritime and Port Bureau's Southern Maritime Affairs Center to send a tugboat to assist.