Shiun Maru disaster
Native name | 紫雲丸事故 |
---|---|
Date | May 11, 1955 |
Location | Japan |
Type | Ship collision |
Cause | Thick fog and lack of radar |
Deaths | 168 |
show This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (October 2012) Click [show] for important translation instructions. |
The Shiun Maru disaster (紫雲丸事故, Shiun Maru jiko) was a ship collision in Japan on 11 May 1955, during a school field trip, killing 168 people.
The Shiun Maru ferry sank in the Seto Inland Sea after colliding with another Japanese National Railways (JNR) ferry, the Uko Maru, in thick fog. A lack of radar onboard contributed to the accident. The victims included 100 students from elementary and junior high schools in Shimane, Hiroshima, Ehime and Kochi prefectures who were on school trips.[1] The sinking of the Shiun Maru motivated the Japanese government to plan the Great Seto Bridge project, the longest two-tiered bridge system in the world. It was also a factor in the addition of mandatory swimming classes to elementary and junior high schools.
The 1955 accident was the fifth such accident of the boat and the second accident with fatalities.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Dead ferry tragedy victims get graduation certificates after 50 yrs". Retrieved 18 December 2009.
External links[]
- Ferries of Japan
- Maritime incidents in 1955
- Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
- Ships sunk in collisions
- 1955 in Japan
- Maritime incidents in Japan