FM sorry about missing citizens

He also announced the opening of a 24-hour emergency line to provide assistance to Taiwanese citizens facing emergencies abroad.

"I offer my sincere apology to the families of the missing men and to the general public, as the Foreign Ministry was not able to respond effectively and rapidly due to the fact that the emergency reporting system is flawed," Ou said.

The eight Taiwanese nationals had gone missing at sea on Friday off the coasts Madagascar, with a Chinese citizen and four local crewmen of a boat they had chartered to inspect ocean farms off the eastern island of Sainte Marie.

According to the Madagascar-based newspaper L'Express, the military successfully rescued two Madagascans crewmen from the "Tropicana II" on Saturday night.

But, the men, in bad shape after more than 24 hours at sea, haven't provided any information so far about the circumstances of the incident, the newspaper said.

Another newspaper, The Madagascar Tribune, also reported that two survivors had been found.

However, officials from the foreign ministry maintained that the rescue team had found no survivors in the boat believed to have capsized at sea.

Rescue mission was still going on by the Madagascan Naval, the coast guards and the police, Xu Jinlong, the Chinese consul in Toamsina, Madagascar, told Chinese state Xinhua through telephone early on Monday.

Over six ships and small planes had been searching for the Chinese and Madagascan crew over the sea while the soldiers and police carried their mission around the nearby coast, Xu said.

Lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lashed out at the ministry for neglecting its duty by procrastinating on offering emergency help to the missing people, as their families could not reach the relevant MOFA officials when the incident occurred.

"We decided to make available a 24-hour emergency mobile phone number so that a MOFA duty officer can be reached at all times in case of emergency," Ou went on. "When the public calls the Foreign Ministry, the security guard will transfer the call to the person in charge."

The MOFA had officials on duty until 10 p.m. so far.

He said that in addition to the 24-hour emergency line, the ministry will set up an emergency task force, appoint staff at the level of section chief or above as duty officer, and educate MOFA officials about risk and crisis management.

Meanwhile, more family members of the missing Taiwanese businessmen departed yesterday for the East African island country shortly to join the search for their loved ones.

Chang Ming-ju, a Taipei County resident, left for Madagascar via Hong Kong and South Africa Sunday to help search for his father, brother, and nephew who have been missing, along with eight other people on a boat off the east coast of Madagascar, since 3 p.m. July 11.

Chang was accompanied by an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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