All 10 people found from Japan tour boat dead; others still missing
- Twenty-two adult passengers, two children and two crew were on board when the boat left port around 10am Saturday, all were believed to be wearing life jackets
- Contact was lost after the crew reported the Kazu 1 had started to sink off the northern island of Hokkaido on Saturday
Ten people who were on Sunday retrieved from the frigid sea and rocky coast in northern Japan have died, rescuers said, a day after a tour boat with 26 aboard apparently sank in rough waters, triggering questions why it was allowed to sail.
The search for the others is still ongoing after the Kazu 1 sent a distress call on Saturday afternoon saying it was sinking.
The location, near the Kashuni Waterfall, is known as a difficult place to manoeuvre boats because of its rocky coastline and strong tide.
There were two crew members and 24 passengers, including two children, on the 19-ton boat when it ran into troubles while travelling off the western coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The coastguard said the 10 victims were seven men and three women.
The Transport Ministry launched an investigation into the boat’s operator, which had two accidents last year. The ministry said it was looking into safety standards and the decision to conduct the tour despite rough weather on Saturday.
The operator, Shiretoko Pleasure Cruise, had been instructed to take steps to improve its safety following earlier accidents in which it ran aground in June without causing injuries, and another in May, when three passengers suffered minor injuries when the boat collided with an object.
“We will thoroughly investigate what caused this situation and what kind of safety oversight was involved to allow the tour in order to prevent another accident,” said Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito, who visited the area on Sunday.
