Taiwan navy accidentally fires supersonic missile and kills fishing boat captain

 A Taiwanese warship mistakenly launched a supersonic "aircraft carrier killer" missile towards China on Friday (July 1), hitting a fishing boat and killing one person.

According to npr.org, China is asking for a "responsible explanation," after the anti-ship missile was launched. 

The victim was fishing boat captain Huang Wen-chung.

Taipei Times reports that the captain’s son, Huang Ming-chuan, as well as a Vietnamese crew member and a Filipino crew member, sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

Navy officials are apologsing for what they call an accident – a mistake made during a simulation drill.

The missile flew for more than 2 minutes before hitting the boat. Officers from Taiwan's navy said they want to figure out why its self-destruct mechanism was not used.

Instead of the missile being destroyed, an S-70C helicopter was sent to follow its flight path.

Navy officials say the missile was designed to explode on impact with a warship's metal hull — and that the fishing boat's lighter materials likely kept the missile from exploding.

Saying that the incident could have a "severe impact" on relations between China and Taiwan, the Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief, Zhang Zhijun, said, "the Taiwan side should offer a responsible explanation of the matter."

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