Moscow Expects Japan To Conduct Impartial Investigation Into Recent Vessels Collision

Moscow Expects Japan to Conduct Impartial Investigation Into Recent Vessels Collision

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2021) Moscow expects the Japanese government to carry out an unbiased investigation into the collision of Russia's Amur merchant ship and Japanese fishing boat Hokko Maru, which resulted in three fatalities late last month, the foreign ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday.

"We expect the Japanese authorities to carry out an impartial investigation, we expect that the reasons behind the incident will be established and the crew and the Amur vessel itself will return to Russia in the near future," Zakharova said at a briefing.

When the vessels collided off Hokkaido on May 26, all the five people aboard the Japanese boat were rescued by the Amur crew, but three of them were unconscious. Later, they were confirmed dead. Amur's third mate is currently in a pre-trial detention center in Japan's Monbetsu on suspicion of not taking action to avoid the collision.