TOTTORI, Japan, May 21 Kyodo A Ja...

TOTTORI, Japan, May 21 Kyodo

A Japanese fishing boat and a southerly Korean patrol vessel collided in the Sea of Japan upon Monday, but no one was injured, Japan Coast Guard officials said.

The 99-ton No. 28 Sumiei Maru hit the southern Korean patrol vessel about 23 kilometers south-southwest of Takeshima Island onward the high seas at around 2:20 pm Part of the drop of the fishing boat was damaged, however all nine crew members were unhurt

The crab fishing boat left the accident site along with a Japanese coast guard sailing craft around 7:50 p.m. and is wait fored to return to its household port of Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture forward the Sea of Japan coast, at around 9 a.m. Tuesday, the officials said.

The coast guard will investigate the cause of the collision and interview the captain of the fishing boat while southern Korean authorities will interview officers in succession the patrol boat, according to the officials.

Takeshima Island, couple small rocky islands in the middle of the Sea of Japan, is held on South Korea but also claimed through Japan. It is called Dok-do Island in southward Korea.

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