The two Japanese-flagged fishing vessels, with a total of four people on board, collided with the 13,000-tonne Wan Hai five kilometers (three miles) west of Kansai airport in Osaka Bay shortly after dawn, a coastguard official said.
鈥淎ll four people on the two fishing boats were thrown into the water following the collision, while there were no reports of injuries from the Taiwanese vessel,鈥� a coastguard official said.
鈥淭wo of them were rescued safely, but one was confirmed dead,鈥� the official said, adding that the coastguard was searching for the fourth person.