A Japanese warship named Osumi collided with a fishing boat this morning off the coast of Hiroshima, the Times of Malta reports.
Two of four crewmembers of the fishing boat are in a critical condition after the collision, which sank the boat.
The Defence Minister, Itsunori Onodera, said that the accident is very regrettable, adding that the Navy will provide full cooperation in the investigation of the accident
The collision occurred in the Seto Island Sea and the investigation is underway.
Osumi is a class of Japanese amphibious transport dock ships, 178 long with displacement of 14,000 tons when fully loaded. The class is equipped with 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS and 2 × 12.7mm machine guns M2 and can reach a speed of 41km/h.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, January 15, 2014; Image: Wikimedia