During heavy weather off the east coast of Honshu, a small domestic cargo ship notified the Japan Coast Guard that its cargo had shifted, causing the vessel to lose stability and is listed to starboard.
The Japanese flagged 560 DWT “Meisen Maru” had a five-person crew onboard at the time of the incident. The vessel is in domestic service, transporting nonferrous metal products and raw commodities such as steel, coal, and chemical chemicals.
On May 14, at 03:30 local time, the crew requested assistance from the Japan Coast Guard. They said they were attempting to reach the lifeboat, but two crew members, one in his 60s and the other in his 70s, were injured. The crew was eventually rescued from the vessel in daylight around eight miles off the coast south of Tokyo by the Coast Guard.
Because the ship was drifting in rough seas, the airlift was challenging. However, according to the Coast Guard, the crew had been successfully evacuated by 10:00 a.m.
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According to the Japan Coast Guard, although there was no oil leak, the vessel remains aground. The salvage operation to remove the ship has begun.
