UPDATE - China seeks international help to locate 39 missing crew in Indian Ocean

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; EDITS THROUGHOUT; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Wednesday launched an international call to search for 39 missing crew members of a vessel in the Indian Ocean.

A deep-sea Chinese fishing vessel capsized before dawn on Tuesday in the Indian Ocean at around 3 a.m. Beijing time (1900GMT, Monday).

According to Chinese public broadcaster CGTN, Beijing has contacted Australia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries to join the search and rescue operations.

The missing crew include 17 Chinese members, 17 Indonesians, and five Filipinos.

China’s maritime search and rescue center besides the country’s Foreign Ministry are coordinating with the relevant countries in the search and rescue operations.

​​​​​​​The fishing vessel capsized in the central part of the Indian Ocean and “so far, no missing person has been found and a search is underway,” the report added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday “ordered all-out rescue efforts” including “coordinating international maritime search and rescue assistance.”