Canberra: The search for the 39 crew members who are still missing from a capsized Chinese fishing boat in the Indian Ocean was stepped up by an Australian official on Thursday.

Australian authorities, according to the ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian, have already dispatched four aircraft and three ships to the search area in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Life rafts and survivors have not been found. Following the Tuesday capsizing, Xiao stated that China wanted to coordinate with "friendly countries," such as Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, on the search and rescue operation.

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The upturned hull was discovered on Tuesday from a cargo ship 5,000 kilometres northwest of Perth, Australia, according to the search coordinator, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

According to Chinese authorities, the missing crew consists of five Filipinos, 17 Indonesians, and 17 Chinese.

The Australian government, to which Xiao made reference, "we wish that they could send more — more aircraft, more ships, and more staff," Xiao told reporters. In order to aid in the search and rescue effort and save as many lives as possible, "We wish that our Australian colleagues would coordinate with other international or foreign vessels or ships near that area."

Chinese diplomats, the agriculture and transportation ministries, as well as President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang, were instructed to help in the search for survivors on Wednesday.

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Additionally willing to assist in the search are Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. On Wednesday, merchant and fishing vessels in the area looked for survivors.

The multinational search effort, according to the search authority, was still going on Thursday over a region measuring 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 square miles) south of the location where the overturned hull was discovered.

The authority announced in a statement that a chartered aircraft based in Perth and an Australian military P-8A Poseiden aircraft would re-join the search after spending the night in the Maldives. Three Chinese naval ships were continuing the search while Australia was in communication with the Chinese Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

The statement read, "A number of merchant ships and other vessels have been assisting with the search and will do so today."

According to her office, Transport Minister Catherine King, who oversees the search authority, was out of the country and unavailable for comment.

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On what caused the ship to capsize, nothing was said. According to reports, the Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 capsized vessel belonged to the Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co. Ltd. and was based in Shandong's eastern coastal province. According to Indonesian authorities, another Chinese vessel, Lu Peng Yuan Yu 018, is operating close to the capsized hull and has been tasked with conducting a grid search for survivors.