A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweeper collided with a cargo ship on June 26, in the Seto Inland Sea off Hiroshima Prefecture. As the Japan Coast Guard informs, no injuries were reported due to the incident.
Namely, as local media report, the minesweeper ‘Notojima’, which was carrying 41 people at that time, and the cargo ship with five crew collided about 1.5 kilometers off Koneshima island. No oil spill was reported, as well as no injuries.
More specifically, the minesweeper lost navigational control, and as a result its rear right end and the front left side of the cargo ship came into contact.
After the collision, MSDF decided to tow the minesweeper to a shipyard on Innoshima island, Hiroshima Prefecture.
At the time of the accident, the minesweeper was sailing to an MSDF base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. As for the cargo ship, it was going to Fukuyama, from Kitakyushu.
According to the Coast Guard, the weather was cloudy when the ships collided, but the visibility was clear and the water calm.