Investigations Continue Over Sunken Japanese Tour Boat
The Japan Coast Guard has carried out searches for a second day at places linked to a tour boat that sank off the northern prefecture of Hokkaido last month.
The "KAZU I" sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula during a sightseeing cruise on April 23. Of the 26 people on board, 14 people have been confirmed dead and 12 others remain missing.
On Monday, the regional coast guard headquarters searched locations including the office of the boat's operator and the home of its president Katsurada Seiichi.
Sources close to the investigation say more than 100 documents were confiscated from the office.
On Tuesday morning, investigators again searched sites connected with Katsurada, in Shari Town.
Authorities are working to find out why the decision was made for the boat to leave port on the day of the accident when rough weather was forecast, and if there were problems with the firm's safety management.
Meanwhile, a salvage company ship is heading for waters off the Shiretoko Peninsula. The vessel left the southern prefecture of Kagoshima on Monday at the request of the Coast Guard.
It is expected to arrive near the accident site within days. An unmanned submarine will check the sunken craft before a search of the seabed by divers.