BEIJING, May 17 -- China has launched an emergency response after a Chinese deep-sea fishing vessel capsized on Tuesday in the central Indian Ocean, and search and rescue work is underway, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday. As of 12 p.m. Wednesday, no trace of the missing crew or any of the vessel's life rafts has been found, according to the ministry.

All 39 people who were aboard the ship remain missing, including 17 Chinese mariners, 17 Indonesian mariners and five Philippine mariners.

Four vessels, including two foreign ships, are undertaking on-site search work, and more ships continue to arrive, the ministry said.

It said it is also working with the China Meteorological Administration to predict the drift of the missing crew, and it is enhancing its coordination with search and rescue agencies in Australia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.