4 Die after Cargo Ship, Fishing Boat Collision off Aomori

Aomori, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Four people died after a collision between a cargo ship and a fishing boat off the northeastern Japan prefecture of Aomori in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Japan Coast Guard's 2nd regional headquarters in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, also in northeastern Japan, was alerted by the cargo ship's captain at around 1:20 a.m. saying that the two vessels had collided while sailing off the Misawa fishing port in Aomori, resulting in the fishing boat capsizing.

After all 13 people aboard the fishing boat were rescued, four were found unconscious and later died, while the remaining nine sustained no major injuries, according to the Hachinohe Coast Guard Office in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori. All those aboard the fishing boat were wearing life jackets.

Six crew members of the cargo ship were unharmed.

The coast guard office is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]