The Taiwanese Fishery Administration said earlier this week that it will offer all necessary assistance to the families of the two Taiwan crew members who died in an explosion aboard a Belize-registered tuna-fishing boat off Mexico last month.
According to the administration, the explosion aboard the "Talamanca II" occurred on December 7th about 1,290 kilometers off the coast of Mexico and some 3,310 kilometers northwest of Puntarenas, Costa Rica's chief Pacific port.
The two deceased Taiwan crewmen were identified as captain Ho Jung-kun and mechanic Chung Kuang-jen. The ship also had 11 Chinese crewmembers; six of which were rescued and the remaining five were killed. The six survivors were rescued soon after the ship sank, but the boat they were on reached shore only on Monday.
A spokesman for the Fishery Administration said the office has sought the assistance of countries in the nearby region to assist in the search and rescue mission after receiving relevant information.
The spokesman said the administration will help the bereaved families of the two Taiwan crewmen handle relevant affairs and seek compensation from the company that chartered the ill-fated ship, Servicios Maritimos del Pacifico.
According to foreign wire service reports, a fire started in an engine room of the tuna-fishing boat, which led to an explosion that sank the 25-meter vessel. Crewmembers aboard the nearby “Tarzan 28†saw emergency flares sent up from the “Talamanca II†and rescued the survivors, who were later transferred to another ship that brought them to Puntarenas.