KAOHSIUNG, July 9: Taiwanese authorities launched a maritime rescue operation on Tuesday, picking up at least 110 out of the 133 Chinese fishermen stranded on a burning vessel off southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port.

Taiwanese helicopters had managed to airlift about 110 fishermen after the “Yuanshen 2” caught fire, an official said.

“Until this moment, we have saved 110 out of the 133 people stranded on the boat,” the official said.

“Details of the fire, like how it happended were still not clear. We now give top priority to rescuing the rest of the stranded fishermen,” he added.

Televison footage showed a group of Chinese fishermen huddling together waiting for rescue near the bow of the boat while fires raged in the rest of the ship.

Local television said two fishermen threw themselves into the rough seas whipped by tropical storm Nakri, which was heading towards the island, packing gusty winds and torrential rains.

The fate of the two was not known.

Coastguard personnel were unable to get nearer the fishing boat due to rough seas, coastguard officials said. Taiwan has been buffeted by a typhoon and storms in recent days.

A rescued fisherman said he and his colleagues were contracted to Taiwanese fishing operators and lived on the boat.

Mainland Chinese fishermen are not allowed to come ashore in Taiwan. But they are allowed to enter Taiwanese harbours in case of storm or emergency.

Cable television TVBS said the fishing boat caught fire and lost power while heading to Kaohsiung port to take shelter from the approaching tropical storm Nakri.

Taiwan’s central weather bureau had issued storm warnings for Tuesday. —AFP