On 30 April 1908, while anchored at Mako in the Pescadores islands off of Taiwan while returning from a training cruise, an accidental explosion occurred in her ammunition magazine. "Matsushima" rolled over onto her starboard side and then sank stern-first at . The accident killed 206 of her 350-member crew, including 33 midshipmen of the newly graduated 35th Class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. She was struck from the navy list on 31 July 1908. Later, her wreckage was raised and scrapped.