American found dead in shipping container at Taiwan port after weeks at sea, cops say

Workers at a Taiwan port found a 41-year-old Kansas woman dead inside a shipping container that had spent weeks at sea, according to news reports.

The shipping container arrived at Taiwan’s Taichung port from California on Oct. 22 and was thought to be empty after coming back from shipping goods to Los Angeles, Ships & Ports reported.

But when port workers noticed a smell coming from the shipping container on Nov. 16, police were called to investigate, according to the news outlet.

The woman was found inside with a wallet and handbag, Taiwan News reported.

Her body was dehydrated, Huaxia reported, and she was believed to have been dead for awhile.

A cause of death could not immediately be confirmed, SET News reported, but a prosecutor and police have ruled out “external forces.” There was no food or water found inside the shipping container, officials said.

An investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not publicly released the woman’s identity.

McClatchy News reached out to Taichung Harbor Police on Dec. 13 for more information and is awaiting a response.

Google Translate was used to translate stories from Huaxia and SET News.

This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 3:05 PM with the headline "American found dead in shipping container at Taiwan port after weeks at sea, cops say."