One person died and six others remained missing on Monday after the sinking of their boat, last seen near islands disputed with China, announced the Japanese coast guard.
The boat was spotted by a Japanese navy vessel on Sunday afternoon as it drifted north of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a coast guard spokesman told AFP.
These uninhabited islands are administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as Diaoyu.
The crew consisted of a Taiwanese national and six Indonesians, the spokesperson added.
“Around 9:15 a.m. (0015 GMT Monday), a body was found inside the cabin by divers, and identification suggests it was an Indonesian male,” said another spokesperson later said.
The Japan Coast Guard had been searching the area with patrol vessels and helicopters since Sunday, after being alerted by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Japan was coordinating the search with Taiwan, which also claims the Senkaku Islands.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the capsized boat was a fishing boat registered in Taiwan.
“The National Rescue Command Center has contacted Taiwanese fishing boats near the crash site to assist in the search. The Taiwanese and Japanese coast guards have also sent ships,” the ministry added in a statement.
The boat is registered as “Shin Charng Fa No 88”, said the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency.
He had left the port of Keelung, in the north of the island, last Monday and had sent a distress message on Sunday to another Taiwanese fishing boat cruising in the vicinity, according to the Agency.