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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Five bodies found in boat off Japanese coast | Five bodies found in boat off Japanese coast |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Five bodies have been found in a badly damaged boat with Korean language markings off Japan's west coast. | Five bodies have been found in a badly damaged boat with Korean language markings off Japan's west coast. |
| The 10m vessel washed ashore on Sado Island, Niigata City in waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula. | The 10m vessel washed ashore on Sado Island, Niigata City in waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula. |
| All those on board were adult males, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. Police have not confirmed their nationalities but suspect the men were North Korean. | All those on board were adult males, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. Police have not confirmed their nationalities but suspect the men were North Korean. |
| In the past a very small number of North Korean refugees have made the journey to Japan by boat. | In the past a very small number of North Korean refugees have made the journey to Japan by boat. |
| Local fishermen found the vessel, weighing more than 4,500kg, around 09:00 local time (17:00 GMT), police say. | |
| The fishermen told local media that they found no engines attached to the boat. The men on board were estimated to have died at least a month ago, police added. | The fishermen told local media that they found no engines attached to the boat. The men on board were estimated to have died at least a month ago, police added. |
| In September last year, a boat carrying nine North Koreans arrived in Kanazawa, further to the south. The group were later resettled in South Korea. | In September last year, a boat carrying nine North Koreans arrived in Kanazawa, further to the south. The group were later resettled in South Korea. |
| In January 2012 another group of four North Korean fishermen found by the Japanese coastguard after developing engine trouble were repatriated at their request. | In January 2012 another group of four North Korean fishermen found by the Japanese coastguard after developing engine trouble were repatriated at their request. |
| A police spokesman told AFP news agency that the Korean characters on the boat - which appeared to have been drifting for some time - were impossible to read. | A police spokesman told AFP news agency that the Korean characters on the boat - which appeared to have been drifting for some time - were impossible to read. |
| "The bodies are decomposed badly," the spokesman added. | "The bodies are decomposed badly," the spokesman added. |