94 evacuated after Japanese ferry catches fire off coast of Hokkaido
The fire broke out in a truck being transported by the ferry, which left Ooarai port in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
A car ferry with 71 passengers and 23 crew members aboard caught fire off Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Friday, leaving one crew member missing while everyone else evacuated in lifeboats, the Japan Coast Guard said.
The 11,401-ton Sunflower Daisetsu caught fire in the Pacific Ocean about 55km off Tomakomai port in southern Hokkaido at around 5.15pm, coast guard officials said.
Kunihiko Orita, a 44-year-old junior officer, was unaccounted for as he lost contact with other crew members after rushing to extinguish the fire. He was tasked with taking charge of on-site fire fighting operations in the event of a fire aboard, according to MOL Ferry.
Captain Mikiro Sakaue, 58, had remained on the ferry to communicate with rescue vessels but later agreed to evacuate, according to the officials. Three commercial ships and two patrol boats came to rescue the evacuating passengers and crew and took them to Tomakomai port.
At a press conference at its Tokyo head office, MOL Ferry apologised for the accident. A company official said the safety of the 93 passengers and crew members had been confirmed.
The fire broke out in a truck being transported by the ferry, which left Ooarai port in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, at 1.45am, and was to arrive at Tomakomai at 7.45pm, according to the coast guard and MOL Ferry.