10 of 26 people from sunken Japan tour boat confirmed dead

PTI, Apr 24, 2022, 2:11 PM IST

Image credit: Koki Sengoku/Kyodo News via AP

Tokyo: Japan’s guard says 10 of the 26 people aboard a tour boat that sank in the frigid waters of a northern national park have been confirmed dead. The search for the others is still ongoing a day after the boat sent a distress call saying it was sinking.

The coast guard said Sunday that the bodies of the 10 victims included seven men and three women. There were two crew and 24 passengers, including two children, on the tour boat when it ran into troubles on Saturday afternoon near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula.

The location is known as a difficult place to maneuver boats because of its rocky coastline.

The Transport Ministry has launched an investigation into the boat’s operator, which had two accidents last year.