Russia to Soon Hand Over to Japan Bodies of KAZU 1 Wreckage Victims, Reports Say

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Russia will hand over to Japan in September the bodies of three people from the KAZU 1 tourist vessel, which sank at the end of April near the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and which were later found off the coast of Russia's Sakhalin and Kunashir islands, the Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday.

According to Kyodo, an official agreement to transfer the bodies was reached at the government level. A delegation of the Japan Coast Guard will leave in September for the Port of Korsakov, where the transfer will take place.

The KAZU 1 sightseeing vessel sent a distress call on April 23 and then stopped responding off the west coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The boat was carrying 26 passengers and crew. The bodies of 14 people, including a 3-year-old girl were found, while 12 others were still missing.

A few days after the accident, the vessel was discovered at a depth of 120 meters (394 feet) in the area where the distress signal came from. Later, the bodies of two passengers and one crew member were found near Kunashir and Sakhalin islands.

Presumably, the cause of the accident could be unfavorable weather conditions, as well as numerous safety violations by the management company. The vessel did not have a working radio and relied on malfunctioning satellite connection. KAZU 1 has now been raised to the surface, with an investigation by police and maritime security underway.