2023 sinking of a Chinese fishing boat in the Indian Ocean
On 16 May 2023, a Chinese fishing boat sank in the Indian Ocean, killing 16 people and leaving 23 missing. The boat, the "Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028" (), was operating in the central Indian Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Sri Lanka. The boat was carrying a crew of 17 Chinese nationals, 17 Indonesian nationals, and 5 Filipino nationals.
The boat capsized around 3:00 A.M. CST (7:00 P.M. GMT on 15 May) during waves while Cyclone Fabien passed over the area. The remains of two people were found two days after the sinking while 37 people still remain missing. No survivors have been reported.
Reactions and search.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the Ministry of Transport to maximize rescue efforts. In a tweet, Bongbong Marcos expressed his sympathies to the victims' families and pledged them of assistance. The Philippine Coast Guard expressed condolences and promised aid to the families of Filipino sailors who perished.
On 22nd Of May, Sri Lanka Navy divers from the SLNS Vijayabahu (P627) recovered two bodies from the captain's cabin and accommodation area and they were handed over to the Tug De Tian on scene. Navy divers also located 12 more bodies of the crew from various compartments of the vessel.
References.
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