5 Filipinos among 39 dead in Indian Ocean fishing vessel mishap —PCG

Five Filipino crew members were among those killed when a Chinese fishing vessel capsized in central Indian Ocean last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday, quoting a Chinese official.

"The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expresses sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the 39 crew members, five of whom were Filipinos, on board a Chinese fishing vessel that capsized in the Indian Ocean last week, as reported by China's Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng," the PCG said in a statement.

Based on the results of the initial government probe, there were no survivors after the fishing vessel carrying 39 crew members from China, Indonesia and the Philippines capsized last week in the Indian Ocean.

"From an analysis of the ship's capsizing... it is preliminarily judged that there are no survivors from the ship," Beijing's transport ministry said in an official social media post.

The Chinese vessel overturned on May 16, carrying 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos.

On Wednesday, the Sri Lanka Navy said that its divers had recovered two bodies and spotted 12 more on Tuesday, releasing photos showing the upturned red hull of the vessel and bodies being hauled out of the water.

The boat capsized within Australia's vast search-and-rescue region, Beijing's ambassador to Canberra said Thursday, noting it was 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) to the west of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia.

The Chinese transport ministry on Tuesday said rescuers had trawled an area of around 18,700 square miles (48,400 square kilometers), and "did not find any sign of survivors."

"We are saddened by this development," said PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, adding the PCG has been monitoring and coordinating with the Australian Maritime Rescue Center and the Chinese Embassy regarding the progress of the search and rescue (SAR) operations.

"We are coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs, to know how we can assist the affected families during this difficult time," Balilo said.

Balilo thanked the Australian search and rescue teams for their efforts in locating the crew members.

"We thank the Australian SAR teams for their efforts, as we understood the risks they faced while scouring the vast waters amid unpredictable weather conditions," he said.

The ill-fated fishing vessel is owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co Ltd, which has yet to release a statement on the incident, according to Reuters. —with Agence France-Presse/KBK, GMA Integrated News