13 still missing after Japanese fishing boat crash
Officials from the Japan Coast Guard have stated that a Japanese fishing has collided with a large cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean on Monday. The accident occurred just east of northern Japan, sending the 22 members of the fishing boat crew into the sea as their boat sank. Almost half of the crew has been rescued, but 13 are still missing, Japan Daily Press reports.
At around 2:30 AM local time on Monday morning, the Horiei Maru, a 119-ton tuna-fishing boat, collided with the Nikkei Tiger, a 25,000-ton cargo ship identified as originating from Panama. It’s not known yet what caused the accident exactly, but the coast guard says the collision took place in waters roughly 900 kilometers (560 miles) to the east of Miyagi Prefecture. The 22 member crew was made of 17 Japanese nationals and five Indonesians.
Responding to the distress call, the Japan Coast Guard has rescued five Japanese and four Indonesians as of 7 AM, however they are maintaining their search for the remaining members of the fishing crew. The Nikkei Tiger cargo ship is said to be undamaged, and the members of its crew are all safe. Just last week the Japan Coast Guard came to help of another ship in distress off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture. A freight ship had caught fire, requiring the 12-member crew, including 10 Chinese, to be rescued.