Inquiries start into the disappearance of Japan tourist boat with 11 people

Inquiries start into the disappearance of Japan tourist boat with 11 people. 

TOKYO: On Monday, rescue attempts to find the boat and its missing passengers increased. 

Their inquiries into what caused the disappearance of a Japanese tour boat off the country’s northern coast began with the confirmed death toll growing to 11.

So far, no trace of the ship, the “Kazu I,” departed port on Saturday on one of the famous northern Shiretoko peninsula viewing cruises, carrying 24 passengers, including two youngsters and two crew members. 

Only a few orange flotation devices carrying its name have been discovered drifting along the rugged shoreline near a rocky location.

On Monday, the search was continued with planes and patrol boats, with local fishing boats from the port of Utoro also being mobilized, according to media reports. Searchers also hiked along the shoreline’s rocky cliffs.

On Sunday, officials from the Transport Ministry rushed to the scene to coordinate operations. 

Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito also visited, urging everyone to do everything necessary to figure out what went wrong and prevent it from happening again.

On Monday, a Transport Ministry investigator told reporters at the scene, “Our mission is to discover out exactly what happened.”

According to media sources, waves were high in the area on Saturday, and fishing boats that left early in the morning immediately returned to port due to the rough seas.

According to the Kyodo news agency, the Kazu I was the first tour boat to operate in the area this season. 

However, the same ship crashed with a floating object in May 2021, injuring three people, and ran aground in shallow water shortly after leaving port in June, according to the report.

The coast guard said it would be difficult to establish what had happened to the ship until additional evidence or wreckage was discovered. 

Still, no indications of its whereabouts have been located thus far. The yacht company could not be reached for comment right away.

On Saturday, the boat went missing several hours after leaving for a tour of the Shiretoko Peninsula, which is known for its rocky coastal landscape and wildlife. 

Shortly before contact was lost, the boat operator contacted to say it was taking on water and listing at a 30-degree angle, according to local media. find out more

There have been questions about why it took several hours for rescuers to reach after the boat’s first distress call. 

Still, deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki claimed the closest military planes were situated 150 kilometers away and were on patrol at the time.

Because of the water and weather conditions, coast guard ships took longer than usual to arrive, according to Isozaki.

Local officials say drift ice can be spotted in nearby waterways as late as March. Water temperatures are currently 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (36-37 degrees Fahrenheit).

A local fisheries official observed, “Just a few minutes in that kind of water will start clouding your consciousness.”