KINMEN (TVBS News) — The Chinese fishing boat Minlong Fishing 61222 capsized and sank in the waters off Kinmen early Thursday morning, leaving two members dead, two missing, and two surviving from a crew of six fishermen from Zhangzhou.
Taiwan's military sent four divers from the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion to search for the two missing Chinese fishermen.
The incident occurred approximately 37.2 nautical miles west of the Taiwan Strait's median line and within 15 nautical miles southwest of Kinmen, according to Coast Guard sources.
The National Rescue Command Center was notified around 6 a.m. Thursday, and it was reported that four of the crew members, including two deceased, had been rescued, with two still missing.
A joint search and rescue operation for the remaining crew members is underway, involving both Chinese and Taiwanese resources. Chinese officials have deployed a Xiamen S-76C helicopter, the Sea Rescue Boat 1130, and patrol vessels 08707 and 08805 for the operation.
Simultaneously, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration's 9th Offshore Flotilla has dispatched four boats to partake in the search and rescue efforts.