A collision between a Contships feeder vessel and a general cargo ship in Japan has left two seafarers missing.
The incident happened around 11.40pm local time on 24 April, in the Sea of Japan off Wakayama prefecture. It resulted in the 2006-built 1,651 dwt general cargo ship, Izumi Maru, capsizing. The ship was manned by five Japanese men aged in their 30s to 70s. All crew members apart from the two missing seamen, identified as the ship’s captain and first officer, were rescued by staff from the feeder vessel, Contship Uno.
The 2007-built 1,118 TEU Contship Uno, which was sailing from Osaka, Japan, to Keelung, Taiwan, sustained minor damage to its bulbous bow. The ship is currently chartered by Taiwanese operator TS Lines.
Originally scheduled to arrive in Keelung on 27 August, Contship Uno has been docked at Nishihama terminal in Wakayama to await repairs, after which it will resume its voyage.
An employee at Izumi Kaiun, which owns Izumi Maru, told Container News that “the cause of the accident is under investigation and the circumstances of the collision are not clear. We have sent staff to the scene to find out more.”
Japan Coast Guard is still searching for the two missing seafarers.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
