Two Container Ships Collide Off Japan

The Japanese Coast Guard reported that two container ships collided late Wednesday night in waters off the island of Shikoku.

Local maritime authorities were able to confirm that there were no injuries, and the two ships, one departing from Osaka, the other heading to Aichi Prefecture, were not significantly damaged and able to continue their operations.

The Coast Guard identified the two vessels as being Singapore-flagged 50,686-ton Safmarine Makutu with 21 crewmembers, while the other was the 4,594-ton Panama-registered Pices with 13 crewmembers. The authorities did not specify who may be at fault for the collision, but are currently investigating the details of what happened.

The incident comes less than a week after two freighters collided in waters south of Tokyo, tragically resulting in the capsizing of a Japanese ship and the death of its six crewmembers.