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Efforts continue to recover undersea mine workers' remains, decades on
Efforts are under way to recover the remains of workers who died in a 1942 accident at a now-defunct undersea coal mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, aiming to build momentum ahead of next month's 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
"We hope that the collection of the remains will be successful this year, 80 years after the end of the war," said a member of a civic group for carrying out diving surveys for the remains of the 183 workers — 136 from the Korean Peninsula and 47 from Japan.
At the Chosei coal mine, which opened in 1914 in the city of Ube, a submersion accident occurred in the mine tunnel at a point some 1 kilometer from its portal due to an abnormal water inflow in February 1942, during the war. The mine's entrance was closed, with the remains of the victims left behind.
Founded in 1991, the civic group has asked the Japanese government since 2018 to carry out surveys by opening up the entrance. The government answered in 2023 that it was difficult to excavate the remains as their locations were unknown. The group decided to open the portal and identify the positions of the remains.
The use of underwater drones was initially considered, but diving adventurer Yoshitaka Isaji, 36, later offered his cooperation. Since October last year, he has dived through the entrance three times to reach a location where many remains are projected to be. However, after reaching a collapsed section about 200 meters inside the portal, Isaji was unable to proceed further.
A civic group conducts a diving survey from a cylindrical structure, called a "pier," that leads to the undersea mine in Ube, in June. |
Jiji
In June this year, the group changed its survey method to enter the mine tunnel from cylindrical structures, called "piers," which were used for ventilation and drainage. Initial attempts had to be abandoned due to buildups of broken timber and steel pipes.
In a June survey, however, the group confirmed a path to the spot where the remains are believed to be, after removing timber with support from local companies.
From Aug. 6, Isaji plans to conduct a diving survey for up to six hours in total, to search thoroughly and safely for the remains at a depth of some 42 meters.
Efforts for the collection of the remains have been made with cooperation from South Korea. South Korean divers have joined such surveys, while South Korean bereaved families attending memorial services for the accident.
The Japanese government, however, is said to be reluctant about carrying out on-site surveys, although it is cooperating with gathering information about obstacles left in the mine.
"This year marks 80 years since the end of the war end and 60 years since the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea," Yoko Inoue, 75, co-head of the group, said. "To bring back even part of the remains would be of historic significance for our peaceful friendship with people on the Korean Peninsula."
