JAPANESE SUBMARINE COLLIDES WITH COMMERCIAL VESSEL

A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine collided Monday with a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean off the western main island of Shikoku, but no major damage was reported, government officials said.

The 84-meter-long Souryu scraped the hull of the vessel as it was surfacing, the Defense Ministry said, adding three crew members on the submarine suffered minor injuries, Kyodo News reported

Top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference that the ship had reported to the Japan Coast Guard that no impact was felt and it does not appear to have sustained any damage.

The collision occurred around 10:58 a.m. off Cape Ashizuri in Kochi Prefecture. The ministry said the submarine's mast and other upper parts were slightly damaged but it was able to progress.

The government set up a special unit over the incident, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga instructing it to look into the situation, confirm the safety of the commercial vessel, provide rescue if necessary and share information with the public, according to Kato, chief Cabinet secretary.

The Souryu is a diesel-electric submarine with a standard displacement of 2,950 tons and a crew of about 65. It entered service in 2009 as the first of its class.

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