A file photo of Zhang Zhijun, head of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office [Photo: taiwan.cn]

Mainland authorities are calling for a "responsible explanation" behind the fatal firing of a missile by a naval vessel from Taiwan on Friday.

Zhang Zhijun, head of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, says the incident needs to be addressed properly.

"The incident occurred and has caused a severe impact at a time when the mainland has repeatedly emphasized safeguarding the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations based on the political foundation of the 1992 Consensus. The Taiwan side should offer a responsible explanation of the matter."

Taiwan authorities have confirmed that one of its naval vessels accidentally fired a missile on Friday morning.

The missile hit a fishing boat from Taiwan near the southern end of the island, killing one and injuring three others onboard.