Chinese barge damages Taiwan's undersea cable; captain questioned

A Chinese work barge is suspected of damaging a Taiwanese undersea cable near the Matsu Islands during a salvage operation. The barge's captain has been questioned by authorities, and the case is now with prosecutors for investigation.

A Chinese-flagged work barge is suspected of having damaged an undersea telecommunications cable near Dongyin, part of Taiwan-administered Matsu Islands, during a salvage mission. Authorities said on Wednesday that the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has questioned the vessel's captain, according to a report by the Central News Agency.

Chinese Barge Implicated in Damage

The vessel, Hai Hong Gong 66, had been operating late on March 30 to remove a stranded Chinese fishing boat, Min Lian Yu 63896, when it allegedly caused partial damage to the core wires of the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 3, as per the CGA's Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch.

Investigation and Detentions

The CGA stated it received a report on March 31 from Chunghwa Telecom about a malfunction in the Dongyin-Beigan section of the cable, which was suspected to have resulted from the vessel's operations, the report noted. A patrol vessel was promptly deployed to gather evidence and board the barge. Authorities detained 11 crew members involved in the operation, while the captain was brought ashore for questioning. The case has now been handed over to the Lienchiang District Prosecutors' Office for further investigation.

Salvage Mission Background

According to the CGA, the fishing vessel Min Lian Yu 63896 had earlier taken on water and was abandoned by its crew, who were later rescued and returned to China. The abandoned vessel later drifted to shore near Dongyin on March 21. Its owner then hired Hai Hong Gong 66 to carry out removal operations beginning March 30, the CGA added.

Damage Assessment and Repair Timeline

Authorities said they will continue tracking the movements of Hai Hong Gong 66, while Chunghwa Telecom conducts underwater inspections to assess the scale and cause of the damage, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs stated that only a portion of the cable's core wires had been affected and that communication services remained uninterrupted after traffic was rerouted. The ministry added that it has coordinated with a repair vessel to undertake restoration work, which is expected to be completed no earlier than July 2026. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)