A special US envoy was in Japan last week to offer an apology for the accident which led to the sinking of the trawler Ehime Maru. The Japanese high school fisheries-training ship sank after being struck by the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Greeneville. Nine people, including four teenage students, are missing, presumed drowned. Vice chief of naval operations Admiral William J Fallon apologised to the Ehime governor, Moriyuki Kato, and said the US navy was ready to discuss providing compensation when relatives felt they could cope with the matter. "I don't think it's possible to compensate for the loss of loved ones. But we will do whatever is appropriate in this case," he said.

The four 17-year-old boys who are missing after the accident were pupils at the Uwajima Fisheries High School. Fallon met their relatives and said he wished to offer an apology, on behalf of the US navy, "in the most humble and sincere manner".

Relatives asked that the US make every effort to find the missing and to salvage the trawler, which is 600 metres deep, on the seabed.

The accident occurred while the vessel was on a training exercise off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.