A ferry carrying 140 passengers and crew ran aground and was stuck on rocks in Japan.

The ship named Silver Breeze departed from Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture at 5:30 p.m. on July 2 and arrived at Tomakomai Port at 1:30 a.m. on July 2. However, it rammed the seawall as it headed to the dock.

Footage shows the Silver Breeze at the port with its bow damaged. All those onboard were safely evacuated and no one was hurt.

Japan Coast Guard said the weather near the site of the grounding was cloudy, with a wind speed of 2m/s blowing from the east, but the cause of the grounding is still under investigation.

A 60-year-old passenger from Towada City said: ‘We heard over the intercom that we would be docking soon, and just as we were getting ready we felt an earthquake-like tremor.

‘Everyone on board was calm and no one raised their voices. When the ship started moving we all clapped.'

Officers from the Tomakomai Coast Guard Station said they waited for the tide to rise and used a tugboat to tow the ferry. It was removed from the rocks after 11 hours.

The Japan Transport Safety Board dispatched three investigators on July 3 to find out the cause of the grounding.