Search for missing captain, Indonesian fisher ongoing following boat blaze

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The search for two missing people from a Taiwanese fishing boat that caught fire in waters off Taiwan's Pengjia Islet is still ongoing, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Monday.

Rescue efforts are being carried out by Taiwanese patrol vessels with assistance from Japan's coast guard, the CGA Fleet Branch said.

According to the CGA, a report was received at around 6:17 p.m. Sunday that the "San Hsieh Shun No. 26" had caught fire in waters 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) northeast of Pengjia Islet, approximately 222 km from Keelung Harbor in northern Taiwan.

The 41-year-old captain, identified by his last name Chien (簡), and his six-man Indonesian crew were forced to abandon ship, it said.

Five of them were subsequently rescued by a nearby fishing boat but Chien and one Indonesian crew member have yet to be found.

The recused individuals all suffered partial burns but are not in critical danger, the CGA said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The San Hsieh Shun No. 26 departed from Huanggang Fishing Port in New Taipei's Jinshan District on Feb. 26.

The search efforts were still ongoing as of 9 a.m. Monday, the CGA said.