Japan finds wreck of missing tourist boat
Japan has found the hull of a tour boat off its northern coast on Friday, six days after the vessel disappeared in an accident that killed at least 14 people on a sightseeing trip.
The coast guard said, “The hull of the Kazu I was found on the seabed at a depth of about 120 meters (390 ft) off the northern island of Hokkaido in pitch-dark waters shown in footage from an underwater camera of the Maritime Self Defense Force.”
The boat went missing on Saturday, several hours after departing for a tour of the peninsula, famed for its rugged coastal scenery and wildlife.
The 26 aboard included two children and two crew. Fourteen were found dead, with the rest unaccounted for.
According to the coast guard, “A Russian guard ship lost sight of someone wearing a life jacket who was adrift at sea in waters west of an island Japan refers to as Kunashiri on Wednesday afternoon.
“Kunashiri, known in Russian as Kunashir, is one of four islands north of Hokkaido that are at the center of a territorial row between Tokyo and Moscow, after the Soviet Union seized them at the end of World War Two.”
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Reuters
