A memorial ceremony was held on Thursday for the victims of a sightseeing boat accident that occurred four years ago off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, northern Japan.
The “KAZU 1” sank early in the early afternoon on April 23, 2022, with 26 passengers and crewmembers on board. Twenty of them have been confirmed dead, and six remain missing.
The anniversary ceremony was held in the town of Shari, where the ill-fated boat left for a day trip. The ceremony was attended by 90 people, including the families of victims.
Town Mayor Yamauchi Hiroaki said that no words could begin to express the deep despair, outrage and frustration felt by families who have lost their loved ones so suddenly in this accident. He said there should never be any accidents like it ever again in the future.
The participants observed a moment of silence for the victims as sirens sounded across the town to mark the presumed time of the boat’s sinking.
The president of the company which operated the boat, Katsurada Seiichi, has been standing trial for professional negligence resulting in death. A sentence is expected to be handed down to him this June.
AloJapan.com