25 August 2023 (Lloyd's List): A COLLISION between two vessels off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan has left two crew members missing.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, the 1,651 dwt general cargo ship Izumi Maru (IMO: 9371220) capsized after an incident with containership Contship Uno (IMO: 9379026) around 15 km northwest of Hidaka at approximately 2340 hrs local time on August 24.
The Liberia-flagged, 2007-built, 1,118 teu Contship Uno had 18 crew who were uninjured. Japan-flagged Izumi Maru was carrying approximately 1,100 tonnes of scrap metal from Chiba to Okayama.
Three of the five crew on board the smaller ship have been rescued and are reportedly conscious. The two still missing as of this morning include the ship’s master. The coast guard is searching the area, helped by good weather with clear visibility.
The causes leading to the collision are under investigation. Both ships were transiting the busy Kii Strait between Honshu and Shikoku when the incident took place about 15 km offshore.
