Japan says it is investigating the possibility that an Israeli cargo ship collided with a Japanese fishing vessel that sank last week, killing seven crew members.
Japanese media report Sunday that coast guard radar records show an Israeli cargo ship now docked in South Korea abruptly changed directions around the time and place of the sinking of the Shinsei Maru Number 3.
Japanese media say South Korean authorities have collected paint samples from a damaged area on the Israeli ship's hull. The samples have been sent to Japan to determine if they match paint from the Japanese fishing boat.
The captain of the Israeli ship is reported to have said he does not recall any such collision.
The Japanese boat was found capsized Wednesday off Nemuro, Japan. Only one of its eight crew members was rescued.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.