Japan’s coastguard was searching Monday for seven people missing after their boat, last seen near disputed islands with China, capsized.
The boat was spotted by a Japanese navy ship as it drifted north of the Senkaku Islands on Sunday afternoon, a coast guard spokesman told AFP.
These uninhabited islands are administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as Diaoyu.
The crew consists of a Taiwanese national and six Indonesians, the spokesperson added.
“We have been searching the area with patrol vessels and helicopters since we received the information around 1:30 p.m. (0430 GMT) on Sunday from the Maritime Self-Defense Force,” he said.
Japanese media reported that the capsized boat was Taiwanese, but the coastguard said it had little information other than that it appeared to be a fishing boat.
The spokesperson said Japanese authorities were coordinating the search with Taiwan, which also claims the Senkaku Islands.