accidents
Excursion boat probably sunk off Japan
A view of a fishing port where a missing tour boat departed for a tour in Shari on the northern island of Hokkaido on Saturday. Photo: Uncredited/Kyodo News/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
A boat with 26 people on board got into distress off the coast of northern Japan in high waves. So far it has not been seen.
A tour boat with 26 people on board got into distress off the coast of northern Japan in high waves and probably sank.
As local media reported on Saturday evening (local time), citing the Coast Guard, a large-scale search for survivors was unsuccessful after more than seven hours. Two children were among the people on board. Shortly after noon (local time) east of the northern island of Hokkaido, the crew of the “KAZU I” made an emergency call to the coast guard, after which water entered the boat. The contact was lost in the early afternoon.
The Coast Guard searched the area near the Shiretoko Peninsula with a helicopter and several boats until the evening, but neither the excursion boat nor the people on board could be sighted. The peninsula in the northeast of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, is a popular destination for excursions because of its drift ice and has been a World Heritage Site since 2005. It is home to many rare animal species and plants.