Rescuers in Japan were searching for a sightseeing boat carrying 26 people after it sent a distress signal warning it was sinking, the coastguard and local media said. The “Kazu 1” was sailing in the cold and rough waters off the northern tip of Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture when it sent a signal to the coastguard saying it was taking on water and sinking, national broadcaster NHK said.
A local coastguard official confirmed that rescuers had “set up a task force to tackle the incident” and look for the missing, but declined to confirm any other details of the reported accident. As of 9:30 pm, some eight hours after the initial distress call, officials said the search was ongoing.
Local media reported that 24 passengers were on board the boat, including two children, as well as two crew members. Everyone on the boat was wearing a life jacket, but the distress call said the vessel was “tilting about 30 degrees”, NHK said. – AFP