Hokkaido Tour Boat Operator Urged To Explain Deadly Accident
A state minister of Japan's transport and tourism has strongly demanded that the operator of a tour boat which sank off the northern prefecture of Hokkaido provide a full explanation to concerned families about the accident.
The boat, named Kazu One, went missing on Saturday during a cruise along the Shiretoko Peninsula. It was carrying 26 passengers and crew members. Eleven have been confirmed dead, and the remaining 15 are still missing.
On Tuesday morning, State Minister Watanabe Takeyuki attended a briefing for the families of those who were on board. Such briefings have been held by the central government and the local town of Shari three times a day from Monday.
At the Tuesday morning gathering, which was held behind closed doors, Watanabe greeted the families, and Japan Coast Guard officials offered updates on search operations. But the head of the boat operator did not attend the meeting.
After the meeting, Watanabe told reporters that the government is making all-out efforts to find the missing people as soon as possible. He vowed to robustly support the highly-distressed families.
Watanabe also said the families requested that the head of the boat company explain the situation to them in person. He added that he will tell the company that this is its responsibility.