Bad Weather Hampers Search Inside Sunken Tour Boat Off Hokkaido
Stormy weather has forced the Japan Coast Guard and others to suspend their search inside the tour boat that sank off the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.
The sightseeing boat "KAZU I" sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula during a cruise on April 23. Of the 26 people on board, 14 people have been confirmed dead and 12 others remain missing.
The boat was discovered on the seabed at a depth of about 120 meters.
Coast guard officials and others are planning to look for people possibly trapped inside the boat by using underwater cameras.
But strong winds and rough waters on Monday prevented them from carrying out their search.
The bad weather also hindered search operations on the surface of the sea and from the sky.
As the weather is expected to be stable on Tuesday, local fishers and others plan to resume their search activities.