TOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) – Investigations have begun into what caused the disappearance of a Japanese tourist boat off the nation’s north coast as search efforts intensified on Monday to find the boat and its missing passengers, with the confirmed death toll rising to 11 .
So far, nothing has been found from the Kazu I, which left the port on Saturday during one of the famous tourist trips to the northern Shiretoko Peninsula, carrying 24 passengers, including 2 children and two crew members. Only a few orange-orange vessels bearing his name have been found floating over a rocky area along the rugged coastline.
One child was killed.
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The search was resumed on Monday with the help of planes and patrol boats, and the media reported that local fishing boats from the port of Utoro were also mobilized. Searchers also walked on steep cliffs along the shoreline.
The transport ministry sent staff to the site on Sunday to co-ordinate operations, and transport minister Tetsuo Saito also visited, calling for all possible measures to determine what went wrong and prevent a recurrence.
“It is our duty to find out exactly what happened,” a transport ministry investigator told reporters at the scene on Monday.
According to media reports, the waves were high in the area on Saturday and fishing boats departing early in the morning are quickly returning to port due to sea conditions.
Kazu I was the first tourist boat to operate in the area this season, Kyodo news agency reported. He added that the same ship collided with a floating object in May 2021, injuring three people, and ran aground in shallow water shortly after leaving port in June.
The Coast Guard said it would be difficult to say exactly what happened to the ship until more evidence or debris was found, but no whereabouts have been found so far. The boat company could not be reached immediately for comment.
The boat disappeared on Saturday hours after touring the Shiretoko Peninsula, known for its rugged coastal landscapes and wildlife. The boat’s operator called to announce that he was taking water and counting at an angle of 30 degrees, local media reported, shortly before the contact was lost. Read more
Questions have been raised as to why it took several hours after the boat’s first distress signal arrived for rescuers, but Deputy Chief of Staff Yoshihiko Isozaki said the nearest military plane was 150km away and was on patrol at the time.
Maritime and meteorological conditions meant the arrival of Coast Guard ships took longer than normal, Isozaki added.
Drift ice can be seen in the area’s waters as early as March, and the water temperature will now be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (36-37 Fahrenheit), local authorities said.
“Just a few minutes in this type of water will start to cloud your mind,” said a local fisherman.
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Report by Elaine Lees and Mariko Katsumura. Edited by Gary Doyle
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