A Chinese fishing vessel capsized in the waters of the Indian Ocean and its 39 crew members are missing.

This was reported by the state media of Beijing.

"So far none of the missing people have been found," the CCTV broadcaster said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered the launch of a search and rescue operation.

The vessel's crew is made up of 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesian and five Filipino sailors. The vessel is owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co, a Chinese company specializing in the fishing sector.

The drama was staged at 3 am Beijing time (9 pm yesterday in Italy). Rescuers from Australia and many other countries have arrived on the scene. China has deployed two vessels to assist in search operations.

(Unioneonline/ss)

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