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Taiwanese diver dies after search at 1942 mine accident site in Japan

A Taiwanese diver suffered a seizure and died on Saturday while taking part in a search for remains at the site of a 1942 undersea coal mine disaster in western Japan that killed 183 people, including 136 Koreans, a civic group said.

The man, a member of an international volunteer group, was pronounced dead at a hospital after the incident at the Chosei coal mine in the Seto Inland Sea off Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, according to the association dedicated to preserving the memory of the disaster.

The search operation began on Tuesday, the 84th anniversary of the accident.

The coal mine recently gained attention as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung mentioned progress in their countries’ joint efforts to conduct DNA testing on recovered human bones during talks in Nara, western Japan, last month.

On Saturday in Ube, a ceremony commemorating the accident was held, attended by members of the civic group and bereaved family members, as well as Japanese and South Korean lawmakers.

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