The Japan Coast Guard said that the tour boat may have already sunk in the accident in which a sightseeing boat with 26 people was injured off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido. The policy is to extend the search to the deeper seabed.

The Japan Coast Guard will add a new survey boat "Tenyo" to the search from the 26th in the accident that the sightseeing boat "KAZU 1" with 26 crew members and passengers was in distress off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.



This survey vessel is usually a ship that examines the topography of the seabed when making charts, and the sonar provided can check the condition of the seabed deeper than that used in previous searches.



The Japan Coast Guard is planning to search by expanding the range to a depth of about 100 meters, considering that the tour boat may have already sunk.



It also means that the Russian Border Guard has agreed to allow patrol vessels to enter Russian territorial waters if the search area is further expanded.



On the other hand, the tour boat had two accidents last year, but according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, no abnormality was found in the hull etc. in the extraordinary inspection conducted by the Japan Small Ship Inspection Organization after these accidents. That is.



In addition, the Japan Transport Safety Board is investigating the details of the accident and the cause, as no abnormalities were confirmed during the regular inspection on the 20th of this month.

Search by expanding the range

The accident in which a sightseeing boat with 26 passengers and crew was distressed off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido was on the 26th, which is the 4th day since the accident occurred.



With the passage of time, the search has become difficult, and the Japan Coast Guard has decided to search while expanding the scope.



On the 23rd of this month, a sightseeing boat "KAZU 1" carrying 26 passengers and crew (19 tons) was injured while sailing off the Shiretoko Peninsula, and on the 24th, 11 people were rescued around the site sea area. However, all were confirmed dead.



Last night, the 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters announced the names of three of them, including a three-year-old girl whose identity was confirmed.



We are also confirming the other eight people as passengers or crew members.



On the other hand, the search has been difficult over time, and no one was newly discovered or rescued on the 25th.



It will be the 4th day 26 days after the accident, and since it is highly possible that it has been washed offshore from the vicinity of the site sea area, the Japan Coast Guard Headquarters will continue to search while expanding the scope.