Taipei: The search for two missing individuals from a Taiwanese fishing boat that caught fire off the coast of Taiwan's Pengjia Islet is ongoing, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported on Monday. Rescue operations are being conducted by Taiwanese patrol vessels with assistance from Japan's coast guard, according to the CGA Fleet Branch.
According to Focus Taiwan, a report was received at approximately 6:17 p.m. on Sunday regarding the "San Hsieh Shun No. 26," which had caught fire 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) northeast of Pengjia Islet, about 222 km from Keelung Harbor in northern Taiwan. The 41-year-old captain, identified by his last name Chien, and his six-man Indonesian crew were compelled to abandon the vessel.
Five of the crew members were rescued by a nearby fishing boat, but Captain Chien and one Indonesian crew member remain unaccounted for. The rescued individuals sustained partial burns but are not in critical condition, the CGA stated.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The "San Hsieh Shun No. 26" embarked from Huanggang Fishing Port in New Taipei's Jinshan District on February 26. As of 9 a.m. Monday, the search efforts continue, the CGA confirmed.