Four Dead After Fishing Vessel Collides With Cargo Ship Off Japan

Four crew members from a fishing vessel have been confirmed dead following a collision with a cargo ship that caused the trawler to capsize.

The accident took place at approximately 1:15 a.m. local time on March 17, about 20 kilometers off Misawa Port in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The vessels involved were the 749-ton cargo ship Suehiro Maru and the 140-ton fishing trawler Kofuku Maru No. 65.

Nine crew members were rescued soon after the collision. The remaining four were later found dead by around 7:00 a.m., after search efforts involving the cargo ship and nearby fishing vessels that had come to help. All crew aboard the Suehiro Maru were reported safe.

After the impact, the fishing vessel overturned and sank quickly. The cargo ship sustained damage to its bow, including a significant vertical scrape.

Conditions at the time were reported as clear, with winds reaching approximately 26 km/h and waves around 1 meter high. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.