VA tourist boat with 26 people on board sank off the coast of Japan. The search for survivors has been going on for seven hours, but so far there has been no success, the Japan Coast Guard said on Saturday. Two children are said to have been on board the ship.
As the Associated Press news agency reports, the two-man crew of the ship made an emergency call shortly after 1 p.m.: The bow of the boat was flooded, it had already tilted about 30 degrees to the side and was beginning to sink. Since then, no contact has been made with the ship. Six police boats and four helicopters searched for the missing persons until nightfall.
The tourist boat was on the east coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido when it got into trouble. Local fishermen reported strong winds and high waves in the area. Therefore, many fishing boats returned to their ports at lunchtime.
The Shiretoko Peninsula, near which the boat was located, is a popular destination. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005 because it is home to many rare animal and plant species.
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