Japan may review tourist boat rules after fatal sinking: Media

Fishing boats searching for the Kazu I after it sank off Hokkaido, killing at least 14 people on board. PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO (BLOOMBERG) - Japan may tighten oversight of its tourist boat industry after a vessel sank off the northern island of Hokkaido, killing at least 14 people on board, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported, citing an unidentified government official.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is considering introducing tougher penalties, such as banning companies from operating sightseeing boats, if it finds problems in safety management, the report said on Saturday (April 30).

A 19-tonne vessel carrying 26 people went missing about a week ago off the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido.

The Japan Coast Guard said on Friday that it had found the vessel on the seabed about 120m deep off the peninsula, but poor visibility prevented it from confirming if there were any people inside, according to the report.

Katsurada Seiichi, president of a local sightseeing company that operated the boat, apologised publicly for the incident on Wednesday.

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