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Search goes on for missing men off Madagascar: MOFA

The search for the seven remaining Taiwanese businessmen missing off the coast of Madagascar since last Friday will continue until the family and the Malagasy government call it off, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding the two bodies that were discovered on Monday night have already been sent to the capital Antananarivo.

MOFA Spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said it would be up to the local government and the families of the deceased to decide whether the bodies should undergo autopsies to determine the cause of death.

Antananarivo has reportedly dispatched several military aircraft and vessels to help with the massive search for the seven missing men. The daily rescue mission starts from sun-up until sundown, Chen said.

Chen, however, refused to divulge the cost of the daily search, saying it is up to the families and the Malagasy government to decide when to call off the search effort.

Chen said two representatives from the families and one MOFA official are in St. Marie, an island off the east coast of Madagascar from which the eight Taiwanese businessmen and one Chinese businessman left on their fishing ground inspection last week prior to their disappearance.

Two Malagasy crew members that were reportedly on the same vessels have been rescued, but the search mission commandant has barred the MOFA official from questioning the two workers, saying Taiwanese officials have no legal right to interrogate a Malagasy national.

Chen said the commandant, however, had agreed to go to the hotel where the family representatives were staying to answer questions.

The businessmen have been missing since last Friday.

So far, only the bodies of one Taiwanese businessman, Liu Shou-chih (劉守智), and Chinese businessman Li Bo (李波) have been found.
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