The boat sank near the centre of the Indian Ocean The boat sank near the centre of the Indian Ocean The boat sank near the centre of the Indian Ocean A Chinese fishing boat operating in the Indian Ocean has capsized with 39 crew members on board, Chinese state media reported. The crew members are missing, with a search underway.
Broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the boat, the Lupenlaiyuanyu No. 8, sank at 3 am on Tuesday. The crew of 39 consisted of 17 people from China, 17 from Indonesia and five from the Philippines.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang have ordered the agricultural and transportation ministries to assist in the search for the crew members, reported news agency The Associated Press. The Chinese diplomats abroad will also be assisting with the search.
“It is necessary to further strengthen the safety management of fishing vessels at sea and implement preventive measures to ensure the safety of maritime transportation,” Li Qiang said.
Reports on the boat were unable to identify the exact location of capsizing. The search teams are only aware of an approximate location lying near the centre of the Indian Ocean.
Assisting in the search for survivors, the Philippine Coast Guard is monitoring the situation in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Manila. The two parties are also coordinating with the search teams.
Run by Penglaiyingyu Co. Ltd, the Lupenlaiyuanyu No. 8 based its operations in the eastern province of Shandong.
The Chinese fishing fleet is the largest in the world, with the boats staying at sea for months to years at a time. The fishing boat network is supported by Chinese state maritime security agencies and a sprawling network of support vessels.
The boat was authorised for the fishing of neon flying squid. The boat had left Cape Town on May 5th for this purpose and was headed towards Busan in South Korea, as per the MarineTraffic tracking website. The website last located the vessel on May 10 near the Reunion, a French department and region. The French island lies in the Indian Ocean.
The cause of the sinking remains unknown, but similar incidents in the past have had poor weather conditions as the culprit.