- At least ten people died when a tour boat with a total of 26 people on board capsized off northern Japan.
- One day after the accident, the Coast Guard discovered the victims in the freezing sea off the coast of northern Japan’s Shiretoko Peninsula.
- They were taken to the hospital, but only their deaths could be confirmed, according to Japanese media.
The search continued for the rest of the 26 people on board and for the boat. The forces had been on the lookout for survivors from the air and by boat throughout the night, it said. The water temperature at the sea surface was only two to three degrees.
Legend:
Firefighters and police officers transport rescued people from the missing excursion boat “Kazu 1”.
Reuters
The “KAZU I” made an emergency call around noon (local time) on Saturday: water was penetrating the bow, the engine had failed. Shortly thereafter, the crew reported that the boat had a strong list before contact finally broke off. In addition to the two-man crew, there were 22 adult passengers and two children on board.
All people on board are said to have been wearing safety vests when the excursion boat departed around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, Japanese media reports said. However, only five of those recovered wore such a vest. The four other victims may have lost their vests at sea, it said.
Legend:
Floating bodies from the missing excursion boat “Kazu 1” are drifting in a rocky coastal area of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Shari.
Handout Japanese Coast Guard/via Reuters
The water temperature at the sea surface was only two to three degrees. At the time of the distress call, there were high waves and strong winds off the Shiretoko Peninsula. According to the local fishing association, fishing boats had returned to port before Saturday noon because of the bad weather.
Popular destination
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. The tragedy occurred in the waters off the popular Kashuni Falls, some 27 kilometers northeast of the stricken boat’s home port.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida broke off a business trip to Kumamoto in the south of the country because of the accident and returned to Tokyo on Sunday night. The search for survivors has the highest priority, said the head of government.