By Biodun Busari 

One person has died and six were missing after a Taiwanese fishing boat capsized near disputed Japanese islands on Sunday afternoon. 

Local reports said the overturned boat was spotted yesterday, drifting in waters north of the islands by a Japanese navy patrol in the area, CNN said. 

Japan coastguard spokesman Keisuke Nakao was quoted as saying by agencies that the boat was found in waters off the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The Senkaku Islands are a group of islands located in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture, which include Uotsuri, Kitakojima, Minami Kojima, Kuba, Taisho, Okinokitaiwa, Okinominamiiwa and Tobise Islands, according to Japan’s foreign ministry.

The islands are controlled by Japan but claimed by China under the name Diaoyu, and it was reported that there were seven people aboard the boat who have become victims on the islands.

CNN also said the dead body is likely to be of one of the seven missing crew that consisted of one Taiwanese national and six Indonesians.

Local media said the coastguard is continuing the search for the crew with patrol vessels and aircraft.

“At around 9.15 am (Monday), a body was found inside the cabin by divers, and an ID on the body suggests it was an Indonesian man,” said coastguard spokesman Masaya Tokita.

Patrol ships and helicopters were sent for the rescue operation after Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force first informed the coastguard on Sunday afternoon around 1.30 pm.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry later said in a statement that the vessel was a Taiwan-registered fishing boat.

“The National Rescue Command Center has contacted Taiwanese fishing boats near the site of the accident to assist in the search. Taiwan and Japan’s coastguards have also dispatched ships for search and rescue,” the statement said.

The boat left northern Taiwan’s Keelung port last week on 27 February and had tried to contact a Taiwanese fishing boat nearby for help on Sunday.