4. Major marine accidents
The followings are two of the major marine accidents occurred in 1998 and were subjected to inquiry:
Capsizing of the tug boat Nikko Maru
Date and time of occurrence: May 9,1998; approximately 1320 hours
Place of occurrence: Off Hiura-misaki, Esan-cho, Kameda-gun, Hokkaido
Outline of accident:
The Nikko Maru, a 19-ton steel-construction tug with three crew members, departed the port of Muroran for the port of Setana pulling the floating crane Sankyu No. 11. En route, off Hiura-misaki - an area that was at the time under a strong wind warning at sea - a drastic starboard list caused the Nikko Maru to capsize and then sink. All three crew members perished.
Treatment
March 12, 1999 Offer for commencement of inquiry made
Collision between the fishing vessel Shinsei Maru and the cargo ship Kaede
Date and time of occurrence: January 20,1999; approximately 0702 hours
Place of occurrence: Latitude: 33゜7' 5" East; Longitude: 141゜36'5" North
Outline of accident:
The Shinsei Maru, a 19-ton tuna longline fishing vessel with six crew members, departed Funakoshi, a fishing port in Iwate, for fishing grounds off the east coast of Hachijojima. The Kaede, a 13,539-ton Panamanian-registered cargo ship with a South Korean captain and 19 crew members, left port in Taiwan carrying 7,000 tons of molasses bound for Vancouver, Canada. En route, a collision occurred involving the Shinsei Maru's aft port and the Kaede's bow. Owing to the collision, the Shinsei Maru developed a crack, floundered and capsized, as a result of which one crew member went missing, while the Kaede suffered minor chafing to its bow. Unaware of the collision, the Kaede continued on its intended course.
Treatment
May 31,1999 Offer for commencement of inquiry made
