Investigators Focus On Boat Operator's Safety Rules
Japan Coast Guard investigators are focusing on how navigational safety rules were observed by the operator of a missing tour boat.
The "KAZU I" went missing off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido last weekend, with 26 people on board. Eleven passengers have been confirmed dead. The other 13 passengers and two crew members remain unaccounted for.
The president of the boat operator, Shiretoko Yuransen, spoke at a news conference on Wednesday.
Katsurada Seiichi said the captain of the boat reported that morning that it was possible to set sail, so they decided to go ahead with the tour on the condition they would turn back if the sea became rough.
It has been revealed that communications between the boat and the operator were limited, due to equipment failure.
The coast guard is looking into the possibility that breaches of safety rules may have led to the accident.
The search for the missing vessel and those who were board continues on Thursday, but local fishing boats are not taking part in the effort because of high waves.