Fishermen missing after destroyer slices boat in two

A father and son are missing after a Japanese navy destroyer equipped with advanced radar ploughed into their fishing boat off the Pacific coast early today, splitting the vessel in two and hurling them into the chilly water.

The coastguard and navy deployed 10 ships, including the destroyer, and six helicopters to search the waters off the coast of Chiba, near Tokyo, for the two men, said Keiji Oba, a regional coastguard official.

The crash, the cause of which was not immediately known, drew high-profile attention in Japan, where many people harbour pacifist sentiments and remain sensitive to anything related to the military.

“It is extremely regrettable something like this has happened,” said defence minister Shigeru Ishiba.

“We must do all we can to search for and save the missing men and find out what caused it as soon as possible.”

The destroyer, Atago, is the latest version equipped with the Aegis advanced missile defence system. The ship, delivered to the navy last spring, was on its way to Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, following equipment tests in Hawaii, according to the navy.

TV footage showed the two halves of the 15-yard fishing boat floating in the ocean. Rescue divers searched the remains of the boat but did not find the fishermen, said Koichiro Maeda, another coastguard official.

The 7,700-ton destroyer did not suffer any serious damage, though TV footage showed scratches on its hull.

The two missing fishermen were identified as Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his son Tetsuhiro, 23.

In 2001, a US Navy submarine crashed into and sunk a Japanese fishing boat off Hawaii, killing nine of the 35 high school students, teachers and crew aboard the vessel. The accident triggered outrage in Japan.

In 2006, a Japanese navy submarine collided with a Panamanian-registered vessel carrying chemicals off southern Japan. There were no injuries.