Japanese Man Found Dead Off Kunashir Could Be Sailor Of KAZU 1 Boat - Reports

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2022) A deceased Japanese man, whose body was found on Thursday off the coast of Russia's Kunashir Island, could be a sailor from the cruise boat KAZU 1, which sank on April 23, Japanese media reported on Saturday, citing Japanese coast guard.

According to Japanese newspaper The Mainichi, a car license in the name of Akira Soyama was found on the body, which coincides with the name and surname of the missing sailor from the sunken boat. The Japanese coast guard reportedly received this information from Russia through the foreign ministry.

On May 6, the body of an unidentified woman, who might be a KAZU 1 passenger, was found on the western coast of Kunashir.

The KAZU 1 sightseeing vessel sent a distress call on April 23 and then stopped responding off the west coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The boat was carrying 26 passengers and crew, including two children. Maritime security patrol ships, fishing boats and helicopters did not find the vessel when they came to the rescue.

The bodies of 14 people, including a 3-year-old girl have been found so far, while 12 others are still missing.

According to the preliminary results of the investigation, the accident may have been caused by unfavorable weather conditions and the criminal negligence of the company that owns the KAZU 1. The waves on April 23 were as high as three meters (nine feet) and the boat did not have a working radio and relied on malfunctioning satellite connection.