A fatal collision between the cargo vessel Shinsei Maru and the fishing vessel Kosei Maru has claimed the lives of two fishermen off the coast of Toba City, Japan.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, the accident occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m. local time on February 20. The impact caused the fishing boat to split in two and capsize, throwing all 13 people on board – including the captain – into the sea. All were reportedly wearing life jackets.
The cargo vessel had earlier offloaded cargo at Kinuura Port and was en route to Kurashiki Port when the collision took place.
Initially, authorities reported that two individuals were in cardiopulmonary arrest and one person was missing, while 10 others sustained injuries of varying severity. A coordinated rescue operation was launched, involving multiple vessels and emergency response units.
An operational alert issued at 3:20 p.m. was later updated at 5:30 p.m., confirming that the previously missing individual had been located. However, the two fishermen who had been in cardiopulmonary arrest were transported to hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
All five crewmembers aboard Shinsei Maru were reported safe, with no injuries.
The Japan Coast Guard has launched an official investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Shinsei Maru’s second officer was arrested on suspicion of negligence. He was reportedly at the helm when the incident occurred.
