Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan has apologized to the family of a fisherman killed Friday when the navy accidentally fired an anti-ship missile.
The Hsiung Feng III supersonic missile was fired during a naval training session at a base in Kaohsiung. It landed in waters off Penghu Island, where its explosion destroyed a fishing boat, killing the boat’s captain. The explosion also injured the captain’s son and two fishermen, a Philippine national and a Vietnamese national.
On Saturday, the defense minister traveled to Kaohsiung to offer his apologies and condolences to the captain’s family. He promised to assist the family in getting government compensation and to review military discipline.
Relatives of the fishing boat’s captain have demanded that the military conduct a thorough investigation into the accident.