Japan navy submarine and commercial ship collide

A Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force submarine and a commercial ship have collided off Japan's southern coast on Monday, causing minor injuries to three crew members of the submarine and damage to its mast, defense officials said.

The submarine Soryu was in the process of surfacing about 27 nautical miles (50 kilometers) south of Cape Ashizuri on Japan's southwestern island of Shikoku when it collided with the commercial ship, the Self-Defense Force said in a statement.

There was slight damage to the submarine's mast, but it was able to continue sailing on its own, it said.

The navy did not identify the commercial ship, but NHK public television said it was the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Ocean Artemis.

It was transporting 90,000 tons of iron to Okayama in western Japan after leaving the Chinese port of Qingdao last Friday with 21 Chinese crewmembers, it said.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters that the collision was "extremely regrettable."

(Image Credit: AP)