Inquiries start into disappearance of Japan tourist boat, with at least 11 dead
TOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - Inquiries began into what caused the disappearance of a Japanese tour boat off the nation's northern coast as search efforts intensified on Monday to find the boat and its missing passengers, with the confirmed death toll rising to 11. So far nothing has been found of the ship, the "Kazu I," which left harbour on Saturday on one of the sightseeing trips for which the northern Shiretoko peninsula is famous carrying 24 passengers, including 2 children, and two crew members. Only a few orange orange flotation devices bearing its name have been discovered adrift by a rocky area along the rugged coastline. One child is among the dead. Searching resumed on Monday using aircraft and patrol boats, with media saying local fishing boats from the port of Utoro had also been mobilised. Searchers also walked steep cliffs along the shoreline. The Transport Ministry sent officials to the site on Sunday to coordinate operations, and Transport Minister Tetsuo...