TOKYO: Japan’s coast guard said on Monday it was searching for seven people who went missing after their boat capsized and were spotted in the waters off the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China. What is the claim?
Coastguard spokesman Keisuke Nakao told JEE News the overturned boat was spotted on Sunday afternoon drifting in waters north of the islands by a Japanese navy patrol.
He added that the crew includes one Taiwanese and six Indonesians.
“We have been searching the area with patrol boats and helicopters since receiving a tip-off from the Maritime Self-Defense Force at around 1:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) on Sunday,” he said.
Local media in Japan said the boat was from Taiwan, but the Coast Guard said it did not yet have details on the vessel, although it “appears to be a fishing boat”.
Nakao said Japanese authorities are coordinating with their counterparts in Taiwan, which also claims the Senkaku Islands. Beijing calls the uninhabited area the Diaoyu Islands.
