Passengers' Families Allowed To See Tour Boat That Sank Off Shiretoko
A tour boat that sank off Hokkaido, northern Japan, has been shown to the families of the people who were on board.
The "KAZU I", carrying 26 people, sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido on April 23. Fourteen of them have been confirmed dead and the remaining 12 are still missing.
The boat was salvaged and brought to Abashiri Port in the prefecture. On Wednesday morning, workers offered a silent prayer and raised the boat with a crane. It was then moved to a nearby site.
In the afternoon, 27 people from nine families were allowed to see the boat.
Coast guard officials say the family members laid flowers at an altar set up near the boat, and some of them shed tears.
An official said the family members asked that an investigation take place on how the accident occurred and that the search for the missing continue.
The coast guard says it will closely examine the damage to the bottom of the boat to determine the cause of the accident. It plans to keep searching for the missing in the area around the site of the sinking.