Coast guard searching for missing ship after collision

Japan Policy & Politics, Feb 4, 2002

WAKAYAMA, Japan, Jan. 31 Kyodo

The Japan Coast Guard in the town of Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture said Thursday it is searching for an unidentified vessel that disappeared after it collided with a South Korean-registered cargo ship Wednesday night about 7 kilometers off the Cape Shionomisaki.

None of the 10 crew members of the 1,177-ton Sunjoo Lucky was hurt but the unidentified other vessel, thought to be a fishing boat, is missing following the 8:40 p.m. collision, the coast guard said.

''It seemed to be a fishing ship but I don't know which country it is registered to or how many crew members there were,'' a Sunjoo Lucky crew member was quoted as telling the coast guard.

The unidentified boat hit the starboard side of the Sunjoo Lucky head on and boat fragments, thought to be from the unidentified boat's bow, were found on the South Korean cargo vessel, the coast guard said.

The coast guard said a patrol boat has been launched to search for and identify the boat, believed to be a large-sized 20-ton fishing boat capable of sailing at 10-15 knots.

The South Korean cargo vessel was heading for Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, from the southern South Korean city of Masan, the coast guard said, adding, it was loaded with 2,000 tons of mineral ore.