TOKYO, Feb. 7 -- A Chinese fishing boat caught fire off the Japanese coast on Friday, leaving six people dead and one badly injured, one slightly injured, officials from the Chinese Consulate General in Fukuoka told Xinhua.

The tragedy occurred about 280 km northwest of Amami Island, Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan at about 2:20 p.m. local time (0520 GMT), the officials said.