運航会社社長を聴取　水中カメラで捜索難航―知床観光船事故・北海道

　北海道・知床半島沖で２６人が乗った観光船「ＫＡＺＵ　I（カズワン）」が沈没した事故で、海上保安庁が運航会社「知床遊覧船」の桂田精一社長（５８）を任意で事情聴取したことが４日、海保関係者への取材で分かった。
　同関係者によると、聴取は数日間にわたり複数回行われた。社内の連絡体制などについて確認したとみられる。
　第１管区海上保安本部（小樽市）は、業務上過失致死容疑で同社関係先への家宅捜索を実施しており、同社側の安全管理上の過失がなかったか解明を進めている。（2022/05/04-21:33）

The Japan Coast Guard has questioned on a voluntary basis Seiichi Katsurada, president of Shiretoko Yuransen, the operator of the Kazu I tour boat, which sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido late last month.
   The questioning of the 58-year-old head of the company in the Hokkaido town of Shari was conducted several times over a few days, JCG sources said. Katsurada was apparently asked about the communication system at the sightseeing boat operator, among other things.
   The Kazu I lost contact on April 23, after the ship carrying a total of 26 people--24 passengers and two crew members--left Utoro Port in Shari on a tour along the peninsula earlier that day. Fourteen of them, all passengers, have so far been found and confirmed dead.
   On Friday last week, the Kazu I was found at the seabed some 120 meters deep from the surface about 1 kilometer west-northwest of Kashuni Falls, where the tour boat called for help.
   The 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters has raided locations related to Shiretoko Yuransen on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death, looking into the company's possible fault in safety management.