TOKYO: At least 10 people are dead after a tour boat with 26 people on board capsized off Japan’s northern coast, according to the country’s coastguard.
The bodies of seven men and three women were found floating in the water on Sunday and were brought to hospital, where the deaths were confirmed. Seven passengers remain unaccounted for, after nine were rescued earlier.
The nine were found unconscious in water around Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula and taken to hospital, broadcaster NHK reported.
Rescue efforts continue despite high waves, to find the remaining passengers, including two children, and the boat.
The accident happened while the boat was in waters off Kashuni Falls,a popular scenic site near the tip of the peninsula, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The area is famous for its drift ice and is home to many rare plants and animals; it was declared world natural heritage in 2005.
On Saturday, after getting caught in high waves, the crew of the KAZUI issued a distress signal to the coastguard, reporting that water was entering the ship.
Contact with the boat was lost a few hours later, and the coastguard launched a search operation involving a helicopter and several boats.
Twenty-two adult passengers and two children were aboard along with two crew. Their identities, apart from the 54-year-old captain and a second crew member, are unknown. Japan has currently shut its borders to foreign tourists due to the pandemic.
Water temperatures in the area have been about 3 degrees Celsius,with high waves and strong winds reported on Saturday. Fishing boats returned to port on Saturday because of bad weather, Kyodo reported. – dpa