Taipei, July 1 (CNA) The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy said that one of its 500-ton corvettes based in southern Taiwan launched a supersonic anti-ship missile by mistake early Friday.

The Chinchiang (PGG-610) was undergoing a drill inspection when the missile was launched by mistake, the Navy said. The ship was said to be inside the Zuoying military base when the accident occurred.

The missile went into waters off the islands of Penghu and did not cause any injuries, according to the Navy.

An investigation is under way to find out the cause of the incident, it said.

The Hsiung Feng III reportedly has a range of about 300 kilometers.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Jay Chen)
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Update:
●Accidental firing of missile likely due to human error: Navy
●Missile fired by mistake did not cross Taiwan Strait median line: Navy