YAMAGUCHI ¨C A male diver died Saturday after falling ill during a survey to search for the remains of victims of the 1942 underwater coal mine disaster off Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Around noon, there was an emergency call reporting that a diver had collapsed at the former site of the Chosei coal mine. The diver was sent to the hospital but was confirmed dead, according to prefectural police.
The diver was participating in the underwater survey to search for the remains of victims at the former site, said a civic group that leads the survey. The survey, which began Tuesday, was suspended following the incident.
On Saturday, a memorial ceremony was held near the former mine site to mark the 1942 disaster that left 183 people dead.
Yoko Inoue, head of the civic group that hosted the ceremony, voiced a determination to return the victims¡¯ remains to bereaved families this year.
The ceremony was attended by some 800 people, including bereaved families. South Korean lawmakers and government officials also participated because many of the victims were from the Korean Peninsula.
The flooding accident occurred in the coal mine Feb. 3, 1942. The disaster killed 136 people from the Korean Peninsula and 47 Japanese people who were working there at the time. The mine was closed after the accident with the victims¡¯ remains left inside.
A diving survey by the civic group last year found a skull and other bones that are likely to be those of victims.
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