Two fishing men died after collision with Japanese military vessel

A crew member on the fishing boat which sank Wednesday morning after colliding with a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) transport vessel off Hiroshima Prefecture died early on Thursday, bringing the death toll to two, local media reported.

Koji Otake, 66, died of injuries on Thursday morning. There were four persons on the boat when the accident happened. Kiyoshi Takamori, a 67-year-old captain, died Wednesday. Another two remain in stable condition.

The Japan Coast Guard plans to raise the fishing boat on Thursday and question the crew of the MSDF vessel to determine the cause of the accident, Kyodo News, citingcoast guard officials, as saying.

The 7.6-meter fishing vessel sank as a result of the collision with the 180-meter Maritime MSDF "Osumi" vessel at around 8 a.m. Wednesday in the Seto Inland Sea off the city of Otake.

The four men on the fishing boat were thrown into the water following the collision and were rescued by the Osumi, another vessel passing nearby. According to the authorities, the sea was calm and the weather was fair when the accident occurred.

The Osumi vessel with 135 crew members is equipped with medical facilities, and was dispatched to the Philippines last November following a devastating typhoon.