TOKYO — Japanese authorities are investigating a sightseeing boat operator after a middle school tour group was recently found sailing with nearly double the permitted number of passengers, raising fresh alarms over student safety during school excursions.

According to local reports on Wednesday, the incident took place last month near Ikinoshima in Nagasaki Prefecture. A vessel with a maximum legal capacity of 48 passengers was boarded by a group of more than 80 middle school students and teachers visiting from Hiroshima Prefecture for a field trip.

Compounding safety concerns, the tour company coordinator assigned to oversee the excursion was reportedly absent from the boat at the time of departure.

While no injuries or accidents were reported during the voyage, the Japan Coast Guard has launched an inquiry to determine if the severe overcrowding violated maritime safety regulations and posed potential hazards to the passengers.

The controversy comes on the heels of a fatal marine accident earlier this year. In March, a boat carrying high school students capsized off the coast of Okinawa Prefecture—near an ongoing US military base relocation site—resulting in the deaths of the captain and one student.

In the wake of that tragedy, Japan’s Ministry of Education issued strict advisories to schools across the country, demanding rigorous safety protocols and heightened vigilance for all upcoming school trips and outdoor educational programs.

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