China: A Chinese fishing vessel has capsized in the central Indian Ocean, resulting in the disappearance of its crew. The vessel carried a crew of 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian, and five Filipino sailors who are currently missing.

A search and rescue operation has been launched in response to the capsizing of a Chinese fishing vessel in the central Indian Ocean. The whereabouts of the 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian, and five Filipino sailors remain unknown, prompting urgent efforts to locate them. China’s premier has called upon authorities to enhance safety protocols for fishing operations at sea, emphasizing the need for strengthened measures in light of this incident.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a directive for a coordinated search effort, as per the statement. However, as of now, no missing persons have been located. The search operation, involving multiple parties, continues in an attempt to locate the crew of the capsized vessel.

Regional teams have swiftly arrived at the scene, with China taking active measures by deploying two commercial vessels, namely the Lu Peng Yuan Yu 018 and Yuan Fu Hai, to aid in the ongoing operation. This concerted effort aims to maximize the chances of locating and rescuing the missing crew members from the capsized vessel. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry deploys consular protection mechanisms across multiple countries for the missing crew. The capsized vessel belonged to Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co., a prominent state-run fishing company in China.

According to data from the North Pacific Fishing Commission, the vessel was authorized to engage in fishing activities for neon flying squid and Pacific saury. Departing from Cape Town on 5th May 2023, the vessel was en route to Busan. The MarineTraffic tracking website last recorded its location on 10th May 2023 in the southeast of Reunion, a small French island located in the Indian Ocean.

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