Ten people have been confirmed dead after a Japanese cruise boat with a total of 26 passengers and crew aboard went missing the previous day off Hokkaido, the Japan Coast Guard said.
Earlier on Sunday, the Japanese media reported that The Japanese coast guard had rescued 10 people from a tourist boat that went missing off Japan's Hokkaido Island. Ten people were found in the water or on nearby rocks, with eight of them remaining unresponsive, NHK broadcaster said, adding that the condition of the other two people rescued is yet unknown.
A helicopter and patrol vessels were sent to the Kazu 1 suspected location. Few hours later, the rescuers have been reinforced by the Japanese self-defense forces that have dispatched aircraft to assist the search for the remaining passengers and crew.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida interrupted his trip to the southwestern prefectures due to the incident and returned to Tokyo.
On Saturday, the Kazu 1 cruise boat sent a distress signal after leaving the Utoro port on Hokkaido for a three-hour excursion. The vessel had 26 people on board, including two children and two crew members.