Two bodies found in sinking Chinese fishing boat in Indian Ocean

Via Le Figaro with AFP

Posted 05/18/2023 at 08:29Upgrade 05/18/2023 at 11:49

Rescuers recovered two bodies Thursday after a Chinese fishing boat sank in the Indian Ocean with 39 people on board, state media reported. Search operations continue following the sinking of Lu Peng Yuan U 028 on TuesdayHelped in finding and recovering the bodies of the two victims“, said the new Chinese company.

The ship capsized around 3 a.m. Beijing time (1900 GMT Monday) on Tuesday with 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and 5 Filipinos on board. An international search and rescue operation is underway to locate the 39 missing crew members. The vessel overturned in Australia’s vast search and rescue zone, about 5,000 kilometers west of the Western Australian capital of Perth.

Under the International Maritime Convention, nations are responsible for search and rescue in specific areas of the seas surrounding them. Australia has sent three planes and four ships to help international search and rescue efforts, Mr Xiao said on Thursday, urging Canberra to step up the search. China is now seeking more help in coordination with Australian defense officials, he said.

Seven meter waves

A spokesperson for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said Australia was organizing rescue operations and was in contact with Chinese authorities. For its part, Beijing sent back two merchant ships to participate in search operations, according to CCTV. Two foreign merchant ships and four fishing boats were also at the scene, the channel said.

As part of the effort, aircraft, including Australian military aircraft, are currently covering a 12,000 km2 area south of where the remains of the boat were found.international“This spokesperson said.”Many merchant ships and other vessels participated in the research and continue to do so todayThe same source said. AMSA said severe weather conditions were hampering rescue operations.

Joint Recovery Coordination Center (JRCC) CanberraHoping for a happy ending, but time is running out and weather conditions are making survival very difficult“. The fishing vessel’s distress beacon was first detected as Hurricane Fabian produced waves seven meters high and winds of 120 km/h.

The South African-owned Penglai Jinglu Fen was en route to Busan, South Korea on May 5, according to monitoring site Marine Traffic, which spotted the vessels on May 10 southeast of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

According to the same source, China’s Ministry of Transport has sent four tugs to Colombo, Sri Lanka, the nearest major port for rescue boats.