BEIJING, Seven people have been confirmed dead after a Chinese deep-sea fishing vessel capsized in the central Indian Ocean, the state news agency (Xinhua) said on Monday.

On Sunday, three bodies were retrieved by Chinese fishing vessels, and another body was recovered from the cabin by divers from a Sri Lankan warship who joined the search and rescue efforts, China’s Ministry of Transport said.

Another three people were confirmed dead previously.

No significant change has been reported on the ship’s condition, Lupeng Yuanyu 028, which is drifting slowly eastward, according to the ministry.

Search and rescue work is underway, with 12 Chinese vessels and one Sri Lankan warship on site.

The capsized vessel had 39 people on board, including 17 Chinese mariners, 17 Indonesian mariners and five Philippine mariners. The accident occurred at approximately 3 am. Tuesday.

Rola AlGhoul/ Esraa Esmail

Source: Emirates News Agency