20 Indonesian Crew Members Survived Ship Sinking in Japan

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A fishing boat lost power and drifted onto rocks in rough seas off the coast of Japan on Monday, March 4, killing one person. According to the coast guard, the other 24 crew members were fortunately rescued and survived.

Among the survivors were 20 Indonesian crew members, while the remaining four were Japanese nationals. The crew of the tuna fishing boat consisted of five Japanese citizens and 20 Indonesian citizens.

Dramatic television images showed the crew gathering on deck as a helicopter hovered overhead, and the 56-meter (183-foot) vessel on its side being pummeled by waves.

As reported by Channel News Asia, a coast guard spokesman told AFP that the captain of the tuna-fishing vessel reported one person missing on Monday morning after the vessel experienced engine problems on Sunday afternoon in the Izu archipelago, south of Japan's main island of Honshu.

All of the crew members who were still alive were saved by Monday morning through the use of patrol boats and helicopters. The body of the missing Japanese crew member was later found, the coast guard added.

CHANNEL NEWS ASIA

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