150-Meter-Long Hose Washes Ashore in Ishikawa

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., June 12 (Jiji Press)--A 150-meter-long industrial hose weighing an estimated 300 tons has washed ashore in the coastal town of Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, local authorities said Friday.

The hose, believed to have been used in seabed dredging, bore the name of a Chinese company. Officials of the central Japan prefecture were unable to determine who owned it although they have contacted the firm.

With its owner unidentified, removal costs estimated at 50 million yen are expected to be covered with funds from the Japanese and prefectural governments.

According to the prefectural government, the town reported on Dec. 17 that a large hose was drifting near a fishing port. It was confirmed to have reached the shoreline on Dec. 25.

Removal work is scheduled to begin Monday, with completion targeted by autumn. The prefecture plans to contribute about 2 million yen while using central government subsidies to cover the rest of the costs.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]