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1 dead, 1 missing after tour boat stranded in Japan’s Kyoto

The fatal incident took place along Kyoto's popular Hozu River at around 12:00 p.m. local time, according to the boat's operator and officials.

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TOKYO: A traditional wooden boat with around 30 people aboard got stuck on Tuesday during a river cruise in Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan, leaving one person dead and one missing, local officials and media said.

The fatal incident took place along Kyoto’s popular Hozu River at around 12:00 p.m. local time, according to the boat’s operator and officials.

Sightseeing tour operator Hozugawa Yusen Kigyo Kumiai said the 25 tourists onboard at the time of the incident were rescued.

However, the staff member who was punting the boat had been killed, and one of the three other staff members who were also on board of the boat remains missing, according to Hozugawa Yusen Kigyo Kumiai.

Following the incident, boat cruises were halted for the rest of the day on Tuesday, the tour operator said.

Known for their stunning and changing seasonal views, the boat tours in Kyoto prefecture have become a fad, with as many as 300,000 tourists visiting annually to traverse through rapids in the two-hour cruises from Kameoka to Arashiyama.

-Xinhua