Hokkaido Boat Operator President Offers Apology At News Conference
The president of the operator of a tour boat that went missing off Hokkaido, northern Japan, has offered an apology for the accident.
Katsurada Seiichi, president of Shiretoko Yuransen, appeared in a news conference on Wednesday for the first time since the boat, named "Kazu I," went missing on Saturday.
At the beginning of the session, the president went down on his knees, bowed deeply and said he was terribly sorry for the victims and their families. He also expressed regret over his decision to permit the cruise.
The boat had 24 passengers onboard, including two children, and two crew members. Eleven people, including a 3-year-old girl, have been found dead.
The president said he had given permission for the cruise to go ahead after talking with the captain, Toyoda Noriyuki, at around 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Toyoda was quoted by Katsurada as telling him that although the weather might get rough in the afternoon, the cruise from 10 a.m. would be possible.
The president said he gave permission on the condition that the boat would head back in the event of rough seas.
The president also said he received a report from another captain at about 8:30 a.m. that the firm's radio antenna was out of order, so he immediately asked for repairs. But he did not dare to cancel the tour as it was still possible to get in contact with crew members using mobile phones and radio of the other operators.