A Keelung-registered fishing vessel, Fu Yang No. 266, caught fire early yesterday morning in waters near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), with seven crew members rescued by nearby boats and another one, an Indonesian national, still missing, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.
The CGA's Fleet Branch said it received a report at about 1am that the vessel had caught fire about 157 nautical miles (291km) northeast of the Diaoyutai Islands, which Taiwanese authorities claim as an "inherent" part of the Republic of China, but is administered by Japan as the Senkaku Islands.
Photo: Taipei Times
The branch said in a news release that seven of the eight crew members on board were rescued by two nearby fishing vessels, while one Indonesian crew member remained missing.
Only one crew member is Taiwanese; the rest are foreign migrant workers, the CGA said.
Upon receiving a request for assistance, the CGA dispatched its offshore patrol vessel Bali, which was patrolling the Taiwan-Japan waters at the time, to conduct a search-and-rescue operation, the branch said.
"As the reported location of the fire falls within Japan's search-and-rescue responsibility zone, the CGA notified Taiwan's National Rescue Command Center, which coordinated with the Japanese side for assistance," the branch said.
The Bali arrived at the search area at about 11am and deployed officers in a small boat to board one of the two fishing vessels involved in the rescue, the branch said.
After conducting an initial assessment, CGA personnel found that two rescued Indonesian crew members had sustained burns and developed blisters, but were not in immediate danger, the branch said, adding that all seven rescued crew members were later transferred to the Bali for temporary shelter.
The Bali is continuing joint search operations for the missing Indonesian crew member with the Japanese side, the branch said.
Once another CGA patrol vessel, the Taoyuan, arrives at the scene to assist with the search, the Bali would transport the rescued crew members back to Taiwan, the branch said.
The blaze is believed to have originated in the vessel's engine room, the CGA said.
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