The mobile phone of the captain of a tour boat that sank off Hokkaido was unreachable during most of its last trip, sources familiar with the case said Saturday, highlighting an apparent failure by the operator of properly managing its communications system. The finding came as 12 people were still…
The latest news emerged a day after sources said that the president of the tour boat's operator had repeatedly forced vessel captains to depart despite high waves.
The relatives of a young couple who were set to get engaged on the ill-fated tourist boat that sank in waters off Hokkaido last week have submitted the missing pair s marriage registration in an attempt to grant their last wishes.
A tourist boat that went missing six days ago off Hokkaido was found underwater on Friday, the Japan Coast Guard said, as 12 of the 26 people aboard remained unaccounted for.
Transport minister Tetsuo Saito has criticized a tour boat operator in Hokkaido for having repeatedly sailed even on days when bad weather was forecast.