Taiwan mistakenly fires supersonic missile killing one

The boat's captain was killed in the incident

Taiwan's navy mistakenly launched a supersonic anti-ship missile from a naval base, killing one person and injuring three, officials say.

A patrol boat was undergoing a drill inspection in Kaohsiung when the Hsiung Feng III missile was fired, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Officials said the missile did not explode

It launched in the direction of mainland China, and hit a fishing boat off the Penghu islands, CNA added.
A Taiwanese official said the launch was not "politically motivated".

The missile landed into waters off the Penghu islands

It came as China celebrates the 95th anniversary of the formation of the Chinese Communist Party. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

There were conflicting reports about the missile's range. The defence ministry said its range was greater than 100km (62 miles), but would not provide exact figures. The boat's captain, a Taiwanese man, has been killed, defence officials say.

The missile flew about 75km before hitting the boat. Initial findings indicated it did not explode and sank into the sea. Taiwanese officials did not say how the missile came to be launched, but suggested it could have been due to human error.