14 injured in boat accident in western Japan

Fourteen people were injured Wednesday night after a passenger boat rammed into a facility of Kobe Airport in Hyogo prefecture in western Japan, local media reported.

The boat reportedly rammed into a guiding light structure of the Kobe Airport, which is located on a man-made island.

One woman fell into a coma and 13 others sustained light or serious injuries, Japan's Kyodo News reported quoting the Kobe Coast Guard Office.

The 84-ton shuttle boat, connecting Kansai International Airport in Osaka prefecture and Kobe Airport with a capacity for 110 passengers, had 29 passengers on board when the accident happened, said local reports.

The boat, which could sail with a speed of up to 50 km an hour, normally completes the journey in 30 minutes, said the reports.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)