China is demanding more resources from Australia. It is calling for more planes, ships and rescuers to find the 39 crew members of a Chinese fishing vessel that sank Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.
The Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028, with 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and 5 Filipinos on board, capsized around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Beijing time, the Chinese capital (21 p.m. in Paris Monday), according to state broadcaster CCTV. "To date, no individual has been found alive," said Xiao Qian, China's ambassador to Canberra, the Australian capital.
"More planes, more ships and more personnel"
An international search and rescue operation is underway to locate the 39 missing persons. Xiao Qian said Australia has already sent three planes and four ships to participate in search operations in the area of the sinking, located 5,000 km west of Perth in southwestern Australia. "We want them to send more planes, more ships and more personnel to this area," he insisted. Meanwhile, China diverted two commercial vessels to participate in the search operations, according to CCTV.
Australia is organizing rescue operations and remains in contact with Chinese authorities, a spokesman for Australia's Maritime Safety Authority said. Aircraft, including an Australian military aircraft, comb an area of 12,000 km2 south of where the remains of the boat were discovered, as part of a "multinational" effort. The fishing vessel's distress beacon was detected as Cyclone Fabian generated 7 m high waves and winds of 120 km/h.
The vessel was owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co, a Chinese fishing company, and was licensed to fish for flying squid and Pacific sardines, according to data from the North Pacific Fisheries Commission.
It left Cape Town, South Africa, on May 5, en route to Busan, South Korea, according to tracking site MarineTraffic, which last located the ship on May 10 southeast of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.