Chinese Vessel Sinks Off Japan, 9 Missing

By The Maritime Executive 10-01-2014 10:50:00

Nine crewmembers from a Chinese vessel are missing after the vessel sank off the coast of Japan's western Shimane prefecture Tuesday morning.

The Lurongyu 859 went down in international waters about 240 miles north of the Oki islands, which are located about 30 miles from mainland Japan.

China's search and rescue center notified Japan’s Coast Guard headquarters in Tokyo late Tuesday night of the accident. The Chinese center requested assistance in searching for nine missing people from the 14 originally onboard the vessel, although it is unknown who rescued the five other people or their current whereabouts.

The coast guard dispatched a patrol boat. It is not unusual for Japan to receive rescue requests from neighboring countries whose ships frequent the same area. Two North Korean ships were also on their way to join the operation.

The cause of the sinking is also unknown and is being investigated.

Officials stated the ship was likely a cargo ship considering its location. Another report claimed the Chinese vessel is presumed to be a fishing boat, but its port of origin and the identities of its crewmembers were not immediately known.

While Japan and China have been entangled in territorial disputes in the East China Sea, Tuesday's accident took place in the Sea of Japan, about 1,200 miles north of a group of islands the two nations stake competing ownership claims for.