On the morning of Jan. 15 around 8 a.m., a small sports fishing boat and the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 8,900-ton tank-landing ship Osumi collided in the Inland Sea, killing two of the four men aboard the boat.
In the area where the collision occurred — off Atada Island of Otake, Hiroshima Prefecture — there are many islands and sea traffic is heavy. But on the morning when the collision happened, the weather was fair and the sea was calm.
At this point, details surrounding the collision, including the movements of both vessels just before the collision, have not been determined. The Japan Coast Guard and the Japan Transport Safety Board need to carry out a thorough investigation and the MSDF must extend its full cooperation.