Society

Operator of sightseeing boat that sank off Hokkaido in 2022 arrested

HOKKAIDO, Sep 19 (NHK) - A regional headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard has arrested the head of the operating company of a sightseeing boat that sank off the coast of Hokkaido, northern Japan, in 2022.

The sightseeing boat, "KAZU I," sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido in April 2022, killing 20 people and leaving six others missing.

Katsurada Seiichi, the company's president, was arrested by the 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters on Wednesday on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and another charge.

The regional coast guard bureau said Katsurada failed in his responsibility to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew of the boat.

A report on the cause of the accident released last year by Japan's Transport Safety Board said that the company did not have a proper system in place to ensure safe and sound operation.

The report said an unlocked hatch cover on the boat's forward deck is likely to have opened in bad weather, allowing seawater to flow in. It said other factors contributed to the flooding and sinking of the vessel.

The coast guard bureau interviewed Katsurada on a voluntary basis as part of its investigations.

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