Ten of 26 people from sunken Japan tour boat confirmed dead

Firefighters transfer a rescued person from a helicopter in Shari (Koki Sengoku/Kyodo News/AP)

Rescuers say 10 people who were retrieved from the sea and the rocky coast of a northern Japanese national park had died, a day after a tour boat with 26 aboard apparently sank in rough waters.

The search for the others is still ongoing after the boat sent a distress call on Saturday afternoon saying it was sinking.