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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man