Suspicious boats with decomposed bodies found drifting off Japan

[IDemo]

Tokyo (AFP) - Japan is investigating nearly a dozen suspicious boats recently found drifting off the country's coastline, some with decaying bodies aboard, officials said Friday, as media speculated they came from North Korea.

At least 11 cases involving wooden boats -- some badly damaged -- with 20 bodies on board have been reported during October and November, a coastguard spokesman told AFP.

Many of the boats have been towed to Japanese ports, but the bodies are yet to be identified, he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.

On Tuesday, one of the boats was pulled ashore at Fukui port after three sets of remains were found inside when coastguard personnel spotted it some 100 kilometres (62 miles) offshore in the Sea of Japan, private TV channel Tokyo Broadcasting System reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/suspicious-boats-decomposed-bodies-found-drifting-off-japan-134707754.html

[Octafish]

1. How terribly sad.

Heartbreaking passage.

[nashville_brook]

2. this sounds like the set-up for an x-files.

[forsaken mortal]

3. 11 lost boats?

One boat is understandable assuming it had gotten lost at sea, but 11 boats showing up in this fashion is bizarre. No distress signals of any kind apparently, they just show up with partially skeletonized bodies.