A Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer is being towed to a dock after being stranded for five days in western Japan.

The Inazuma was near an island in Yamaguchi Prefecture in the Seto Inland Sea on Tuesday when it became unable to navigate on its own.

Part of a blade from one of the ship's propellers had broken off and it was leaking oil.

The hole was covered and the leakage stopped. The Inazuma is now on its way to the dockyard. It is expected to arrive on Monday.

The Japan Coast Guard believes the ship veered off its regular route and hit the shallows.
It will further inspect the vessel as part of the investigation into a possible violation of the traffic safety law.