Five Dead as Ships Collide Off Japan

Two cargo ships collided off Tokyo early Friday, leaving five crewmen dead. A search has been launched for a sixth missing crewman.

The Japanese ship, Eifuku Maru No. 18, capsized after it collided with the Sierra Leone-registered Jia Hui about 7 miles west of Izu Oshima Island, a Japanese Coast Guard spokesperson said. Patrol boats and helicopters are searching for the missing mariner, after five bodies were discovered inside the capsized vessel.

The 13 crewmembers on the Jia Hui are safe, and were being questioned by authorities regarding the incident. It remains unclear as to what caused the collision.

The 498-ton Eifuku Maru No. 18 was traveling from Nagoya, central Japan, to Ichikawa, east of Tokyo. The 2,962-ton Jia Hui was headed from Kawasaki, Japan, to Busan, South Korea.