Ten people have been declared deceased after a tourist boat went missing in Japan.

According to the Japan Coast Guard, at least ten persons on a tourist boat went missing off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

They said the hunt for 16 others who were on board the Kazu 1 sailboat is continuing in the icy waters.

After the boat reported taking on water at 13:15 local time (04:15 GMT) on Saturday, contact was lost.

The Kazu 1 is thought to have been on a three-hour sightseeing cruise around the Shiretoko Peninsula at the time of its disappearance.

The area is a UNESCO world heritage site, and boat tours are popular among visitors wanting to see whales, sea lions, and brown bears on the rocky shores.

According to Japanese media, the crew managed to indicate that the ship was tipping at a 30-degree angle and sinking.

Patrol boats, as well as police and military planes, were despatched right away to locate the vessel. The search operation included local fishing boats as well.

Two of the 26 people on board were crew members and two were minors.

Earlier reports indicated that other people were rescued from the seas, however, it is unknown whether they are among the confirmed ten victims.

Local fishing boats had supposedly decided to return to port by mid-morning due to the heavy waves in the area.

According to the crew, everyone on board was wearing a life jacket.

When night arrives, however, temperatures in the area can drop to 0C (32F).