Coast Guard ship runs aground in Japan, no crew injured

A Japanese patrol boat ran aground off Niigata Prefecture on Wednesday morning and was unable to sail, the coast guard said, adding that no crew members were injured but an oil spill was observed in the area.

As the coast guard investigates the cause of the incident, which occurred around 6:30 am off Kashiwazaki, its local office said there may have been human error in the maneuvering of the 3,100-tonne Echigo.

Yusuke Ono, head of the Niigata Coast Guard Bureau, told a news conference that the accident occurred when the 105-meter-long vessel was approaching a lighthouse to check that its lighting system was working properly.

Seawater entered some parts of the hull, but there was no concern that the boat could sink, he said. The weather conditions were rainy with a wind speed of almost 40 kilometers per hour at the time of the incident.

Japan Coast Guard Commander Shohei Ishii offered an apology, saying: “It is unfortunate that a patrol boat caused an accident even though it was supposed to ensure safety at sea.”

A similar grounding accident involving a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel off Yamaguchi Prefecture made headlines last week.