The 19 ton tugboat Meiyu No. 18 capsized and sank in the Tsugaru Strait off Hokkaido, Japan. The Meiyu No. 18 was proceeding form Hakodate with a pontoon barge loaded with ship parts when the tug lost stability and rolled over. One crewman on board was lucky enough to find a small breathing space in the cabin. He was spent 15 hours trapped until he was later rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard. Three other crewmen perished with two of their bodies recovered.
The 169 meter long, 28423 dwt bulk carrier CSE Clipper Express ran aground in the Sea of Japan off Honshu Island near Yorihonjo, Japan. The CSE Clipper Express had departed from Akita in ballast bound for Taiwan when it caught in a severe snowstorm with waves reaching 8 meters high. The strong winds pushed the CSE Clipper Express into shallow water. The 20 crew stayed on board the vessel due to the severe weather. No reports of injuries. Authorities state there has not been any water ingress or pollution released.
The 158 meter long, 24781 dwt bulk carrier Glorious Future went aground in the Kanmon Strait near Shimonoseki, Japan. The Glorious Future was en route to Fukuyama when it touch bottom damaging one it’s tanks and suffered water ingress. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Glorious Future proceeded to an anchorage off Simonoseki.