2 missing after ship sinks in Japanese waters

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least two people are missing after a cargo ship sank when it hit a freighter off Japan late Thursday night.

The incident happened in the Kii Channel off Wakayama province in western Japan after the two vessels collided, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Of five crew members who fell into the waters, two are missing, the Japan Coast Guard said on Friday.

Search and rescue for the ship owner and captain is going on.

The collision involved Japanese-registered 499-ton Izumi Maru and Liberian-registered cargo ship weighing 9,940 tons.

None of 18 crew of Liberian vessel were injured.

The Liberian vessel made the emergency call late Thursday.

Izumi Maru had set sail from Chiba province and was on its way to Okayama province, carrying around 1,100 tons of scrap metal when the incident happened midway.