Missing Boat Not Found from Area Pinged By Sonar

Shari, Hokkaido, April 27 (Jiji Press)--A large object detected by a sonar on the seabed on Tuesday during efforts to find a missing tour boat off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has been confirmed to be not the boat, the Japan Coast Guard said Wednesday.

The object was a raised area of the seabed, according to the coast guard.

The coast guard continues searching the seabed with sonar equipment for the Kazu I tour boat, which went missing with a total of 26 passengers and crew members on Saturday.

Eleven of the 26 people, including a 3-year-old girl, have been found and confirmed dead so far.

On Wednesday, the coast guard and others expanded their search for the people who remain unaccounted for, with a total of 12 ships and seven aircraft taking part.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]