Taiwan and China began Search and Rescue (S&R) operations to locate two Chinese fishermen still missing after a Chinese fishing vessel sank in waters near Kinmen Island on March 14th. Taiwan sent four coast guard vessels, with China sending six vessels to search for the missing individuals.
The vessel, the Min Longyu 61222, reportedly capsized with six crew aboard around 6 a.m. local time, approximately 1.23 miles (1.98 km) west of Dongding Island, located approximately 13 miles (27 km) south of Little Kinmen Island.
Taiwanese military personnel stationed on Dongding Island initially responded to the sinking and continued to offer unspecified assistance. Taiwanese news outlets report that search vessels rescued two individuals and recovered two bodies.
Some Taiwanese blogs said that the Chinese Coast Guard requested to land some S&R personnel on the island to assist in the search. However, Kinmen Defense Command issued a statement saying it did not receive any requests.
