On July 26, a high speed ferry reportedly rammed into a navigation aid. The ferry was proceeding towards Kobe airport when the incident occurred.
What happened?
The high speed ferry ‘Bay Shuttle’, used for plying passengers between Kansai and Kobe airport rammed into a navigation aid on Wednesday evening.
15 injured:
At least 15 passengers were injured during the collision incident. The injured passengers were treated by medics on the piers whereas others were rushed to a hospital nearby.
The damages to the ferry are being assessed as of now and further information is awaited.
Investigation launched:
The coast guard is investigating the accident on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in injuries, suspecting poor maneuvering or malfunction of the ship, as the sea and wind were calm and visibility good at the time of the accident.
An official of the ferry service operator told a news conference that the accident was likely caused by a human error, as the captain had mistaken the location of the ship because he was not using any instrumentation to position the boat.
The operator said the captain started working from 2 p.m. Wednesday and was making the fourth round-trip of the day at the time of the accident. No health issues were discovered in a checkup conducted prior to his boarding.
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Source: Japan Today
