At around 2200 hours on Friday, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration received a request for assistance from the vessel. According to the Bangkok Post, the Seatran had lost control many days earlier and it was in trouble.

A tugboat responded to the vessel and constructed a tow line, but there was no success in the attempt. At about 2250 hours, the ferry sank at a place about 30 nm west of Kaohsiung.

A search and rescue aircraft discovered five survivors in the water at around 0030 the next morning, and they were safely rescued by a tugboat. Two of them were injured and medical care was needed.

A Coast Guard Administration vessel spotted a life raft at about 0615 hours, but found it to be empty.

The remaining five crew members, all of them Thai nationals, are also missing. In an ongoing search, eight CGA vessels are involved.

The Marine Protection Department of Taiwan is monitoring the sinking area for signs of pollution.

At the time of the collision, the vessel had about 36 metric tons of diesel fuel and half a ton of lube oil on board, and a slick measuring about one kilometer in length and fifty meters in width was spotted. The authorities do not, however, anticipate any major effects on the environment, as any pollution caused by a diesel spill should dissipate rapidly.

Maritime Business World