Add 11 dead after shipwreck of tourist boat in Japan | News

The number of people killed after the sinking of a tourist boat in northern Japan rose to 11 on Monday, as local authorities, elements of the army and the Coast Guard work against the clock to find survivors.

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A patrol boat found the boy's body near the waters off the Shiretoko Peninsula where the incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. Sunday (02:00 GMT).

The ship with 26 people on board lost contact with the shore and sank off Hokkaido, northern Japan, last Saturday, according to a report by the Japan Coast Guard.

Along with the seven men and three women found earlier, as of Monday morning, there are 11 confirmed deaths and another 15 people are still missing.

According to Japanese media reports, the Kazu 1 tourist ship left the port of Utoro, Shari city, in the morning hours of Saturday, and traveled to the waters of Okhotsk near the Shiretoko peninsula, about 27 kilometers northeast. of the port.

At that time, a radio distress signal was sent to the nearby Administration Area No. 1 Maritime Security Headquarters, indicating that the bow entered the water, began to sink, and the engine failed.

The company was then notified at 2:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT) of a 30-degree hull tilt and communication was lost.

After receiving the news, the Japan Maritime Security Headquarters dispatched helicopters and patrol boats and arrived at the area where the incident occurred at around 4:30 pm to carry out search and rescue operations.

The Air Self-Defense Force (army) also sent search-and-rescue aircraft, and the Maritime Self-Defense Force sent frigates and aviation groups on search-and-rescue operations.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a strong wind and wave warning to the surrounding areas on Saturday morning, and the sea water temperature was about 2 to 4 degrees Celsius.

All the local fishing boats returned to port before noon, but Kazu 1 decided to leave. The Japanese government's Transportation Safety Committee has dispatched three ship accident investigators to the local area to investigate the cause of the accident in detail.

According to information from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, this is not the first time that an accident has occurred on the Kazu 1 tourist boat.

In May 2021, the ship hit a floating object in the sea, causing minor injuries to 3 passengers; in June 2021, she ran aground in a shoal shortly after departure, although no one was injured in the accident.

The Coast Guard noted that there are many bluffs, slopes, and bluffs along the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Even if this land is close to the coastal waters, the depth of the water is more than 100 meters deep. The authorities fear that the sinking of the ship will increase the difficulty of the rescue.