China asks for international help to rescue 39 people onboard vessel that sank in Indian Ocean

China has asked for international help in order to rescue the people who were on-board the fishing vessel that sank in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday. The Chinese administration, today, has asked Australia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries to help them look for the 39 people who were onboard the Chinese fishing vessel.

The 39 people who were onboard the ship, Lupeng Yuanyu 028, included 17 Chinese crew members, 17 Indonesians, and five from the Philippines. The ship capsized in the central part of the Indian ocean, but the precise location remains unclear. None of the people onboard have been found so far, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Philippine coast guard said that it is monitoring the incident along with the Chinese counterparts.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has contacted the relevant departments in the above mentioned countries for the rescue operations. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts in the rescue of the missing people in the boat tragedy.

The incident occurred around 3am on Tuesday, following which the emergency response mechanism was initiated. The Chinese President called for coordinating international maritime search and rescue assistance. He asked the Chinese foreign affairs ministry to contact relevant local parties to coordinate the search and rescue work. 

He also ordered to strengthen early warning alerts of safety risks for distant-sea operations to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Moreover, China also sent two additional vessels, Lupeng Yuanyu 018 and Yuanfu Hai to the scene, apart from other rescue forces, according to SCMP. 

The vessel was operated by the Shandong province-based Penglai Jinglu Fishery company that specialises in deep-sea fishing, export processing, prepared food sales, marine farming and shipbuilding. The Chinese vessel that departed from Cape Town in South Africa was reportedly heading towards South Korea’s Busan. 

Also read: Chinese fishing boat capsizes in Indian Ocean, 39 crew members missing