Seven people went missing after their boat capsized in waters off the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islets, which are also claimed by China.
As per AFP report, the matter came to light after the overturned boat was spotted on Sunday afternoon, drifting in waters north of the islands by a Japanese navy patrol in the area.
The crew are one Taiwanese and six Indonesians, the news agency reported quoting coastguard spokesman Keisuke Nakao as saying.
“We have been searching the area with patrol ships and helicopters since receiving the information at around 1:30 pm (0430 GMT) Sunday” from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, he said.
Nakao also said Japanese authorities were coordinating with their counterparts in Taiwan, which also lays claim to the Senkaku islets. Beijing calls the uninhabited territory the Diaoyu Islands.
On the other hand, Taiwan’s foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that the vessel was a Taiwan-registered fishing boat, and was suspected to have capsized near one of the Senkaku Islands.
