OSAKA - An official of the Chinese Consulate- General in Fukuoka confirmed Saturday that a Chinese sailor suffered a slight head injury as a Panama-registered cargo ship collided with a Japanese tanker earlier in the day in waters in Japan's southwestern Miyazaki Prefecture.

The accident occurred at around 3:40 a.m. local time when the 1, 990-ton freighter collided in waters near Kuma city, Miyazaki Prefecture, with a 366-ton tanker which belongs to a local company.

The freighter lost the ability to sail by itself after the collision and was tugged to a Japanese port by tugboat, according to local media reports.

The freighter, which left Japan's Chiba Port with cargos, was sailing for China when the accident happened. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.