India on Thursday deployed its Navy in the Southern Indian Ocean Region in response to the sinking of a Chinese Fishing Vessel with 39 crew onboard. According to the statement released by the Indian Navy, the crew included nationals from China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The response from the Indian side came nearly 24 hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang appealed to its diplomats abroad, as well as the agriculture and transportation ministries, to assist in the search for survivors.
Indian Navy locates multiple objects of the sunken vessel
As per the statement, the P8I aircraft carried out multiple and extensive searches despite adverse weather and added it has located multiple objects possibly belonging to the sunken vessel.
"As an immediate response, SAR eqpt was deployed at the scene by the Indian aircraft on request of PLA(N) ships closing the area. In a display of India’s obligations as a credible and responsible partner for ensuring safety at sea, the Indian Navy units also coordinated SAR efforts with other units in the area and guided PLA(N) warships transiting to the scene of the incident," tweeted spokesman of Indian Navy.
Australia and other nations to start operation
Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines have also expressed their willingness to join in the search. Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency said the capsizing occurred about 4,600 kilometers (2,900 miles) northwest of Australia.
Several ships and an Australian Defense Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft have been searching the area. The Indian Ocean stretches from South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula to east Africa and western Australia. No survivors or life rafts have been spotted.
Two bodies were pulled from the ocean on Thursday afternoon by the Chinese navy, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported. No survivors or life rafts have been spotted.
Chinese fishing boats
Notably, China is believed to operate the world’s largest fishing fleet. Many of them stay at sea for months or even years at a time, supported by Chinese state maritime security agencies and a sprawling network of support vessels. Chinese squid fishing ships have been documented using wide nets to illegally catch already overfished tuna as part of a surge in unregulated activity in the Indian Ocean, according to a report released in 2021 by a Norway-based watchdog group that highlighted growing concerns about the lack of international cooperation to protect marine species on the high seas.
Also Read: 39 missing after Chinese fishing boat capsizes in middle of Indian Ocean
