Society

Tour Boat with 25 Aboard Catches Fire off Kagawa

KAGAWA, May 17 (News On Japan) - A sightseeing boat carrying 25 people caught fire off the coast of Ogijima Island in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture on the evening of May 16th. All passengers and crew were safely rescued by a nearby fishing boat, and no injuries were reported.

One of the passengers described the situation: "Flames broke out, and I rushed over with a fire extinguisher, but at that point there was really nothing we could do."

According to the Takamatsu Coast Guard Office, a distress call was received from the vessel's captain at around 5:40 p.m., reporting a fire on board. The vessel, named Dai-27 Mukuji Maru, is owned by Rokukuchi Maru Kaiun based in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. It was carrying 21 passengers and 4 crew members, all of whom were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel.

The tour boat had been visiting sites such as Inujima Island in Okayama before heading back toward Takamatsu Port when the fire broke out.

Source: TBS

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