The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Finance
  • Policies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Banks
  • Non-banks
  • Economic Essay Contest
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Travel & Cuisine
  • Trend
  • Fashion
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
  • K-pop
  • K-dramas & Shows
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Performances
  • Asia Model Festival
Sports
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Baseball
  • Other Sports
World
  • Asia Pacific
  • Americas
  • Europe & Africa
  • SCMP
Video
  • On the Spot
  • Feature
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Community
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Sun, January 17, 2021 | 11:11
-------------------------
Rescuers fight time to find hundreds missing in sunken ferry
사망자 4명 추가 수습…총 사망자 33명
Posted : 2014-04-19 10:31
Updated : 2014-04-19 20:20
Mail
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Desperate search and rescue efforts for hundreds still unaccounted for in a deadly ferry accident in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast continued for a fourth day on Saturday, with the country clinging to the dim hope of finding survivors.

Some 652 Navy and Coast Guard officers, along with civilian divers, have been battling strong underwater currents and low visibility to reach 273 people believed to be trapped inside the ferry Sewol that sank three days ago.

More than 80 hours have passed since the 6,825-ton ship sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on a foggy Wednesday morning. A total of 476 passengers, including 325 high schoolers on a field trip, were reportedly aboard the ship en route to the southern resort island of Jeju from the western port of Incheon.

The total death toll came to 32 as of 6:30 p.m. Saturday as two additional bodies were discovered in waters near the accident site. Two hundred and seventy others still remain missing, with 174 passengers rescued. No one has been found alive since around Wednesday noon when the ship went under.

The government said it is considering declaring special disaster zones in Ansan, home of the high school whose 250 students remain missing, and Jindo, the site of the sinking.

"There is a need for swift, government-level support for the areas as physical and emotional damages to Ansan city and Jindo-gun are growing," an official from the prime minister's office said.

Once declared special disaster zones, the areas will be entitled to additional government support, including up to 80 percent of the costs associated with the disaster.

Such a declaration is made by the president following a review and approval by a state commission on public safety, the official from the prime minister's office said.



Strong underwater currents, as well as low visibility, were hampering rescue efforts.

"We've yet to get any response from survivors underwater. Divers have continued all-out operations to enter cabins, while pumping air to help them breathe," Coast Guard officer Choi Sang-hwan said.

Experts say people could possibly survive for 72 hours if there are air pockets in the compartments.

"Instead of dispatching two divers at a time, we are to send up to 10 workers at the same time to speed up the job. We are also working to install more guide lines," he said, referring to lines that help workers move inside vessels.

During overnight operations, divers found three dead bodies wearing life jackets inside the cabin on the fourth floor of the five-story ferry, officers said, adding they are trying to break the window to recover them.

Rescue operations in the morning, however, failed to make any noticeable progress, and concerns arouse that worsening weather conditions, including rain, high waves and wind, would hamper the rescue efforts.

The Coast Guard, meanwhile, surrounded the shipwrecked spot in a net to prevent bodies of possible victims from being swept away by the strong underwater currents.

The point of the accident occurred in an area named the Maenggol Channel, which is notorious for strong underwater currents.

Efforts are also underway to prevent oil leaked from the sunken ship into the sea from spreading further.

An around 300-meter-long oil plume was spotted surrounding the Sewol in the waters of Jindo. Oil has been leaking from the ferry since late Friday. A total of 203,000 liters of oil, including 139,000 liters of bunker-C oil and 39,000 liters of diesel are thought to be loaded on the ship.



With investigations into what caused the tragedy under way, the joint probe team of prosecutors and police arrested the 69-year-old captain, surnamed Lee, and two other crew members earlier in the day for their negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.

According to the interim probe result announced a day earlier, the captain was not at the steering room when the boat was experiencing trouble. He had given the wheel to an inexperienced third mate in her 20s.

Denying some accounts that he was drinking at the time the ship experienced problems, Lee said he had "gone to his bedroom after giving instructions on which route to follow."

Lee was also accused of abandoning the boat while hundreds of passengers were desperately struggling to find their way out. A public uproar has erupted as crew members repeatedly told the passengers to remain seated though the ship was foundering, stripping them of their chance to escape.

Of the 29 crew members aboard the ferry, 69 percent, or 20 people, survived the deadly sinking, with three dead and six unaccounted for, according to the data by the Sewol's operator, Cheonghaejin Marine Co.

The data also showed that the 15 crewmen in charge of steering were all found to be alive. The deceased and unaccounted for crew members include part-time workers and those with office jobs.

It is in stark contrast to the mere 75, or 23 percent, of the 325 high schoolers on the field trip who escaped the capsized ferry.

While apologizing to victims and their families, the captain said that it was not true that he failed to instruct passengers to leave the vessel.

"I gave such an order (to passengers to evacuate)," captain Lee told reporters upon being arrested, adding he told the people to remain seated "before any rescue vessels had arrived. The water was cold."

The 55-year-old steersman who guided the boat with the female mate said he navigated the ship just as he normally does, but the steering gear "turned exceptionally faster than normal."

Experts and investigators have said a sudden shift of the vessel caused 180 vehicles and 1,157 tons of freight on board to slide to one side, disrupting the balance of the ship.

An official of the probe team also noted that they have almost ruled out a theory that the boat hit a submerged rock, causing the tragedy. Initial reports said the vessel could have hit an underwater rock based upon survivors' accounts that they heard a big thumping sound before it started to lean.

"It appears that there were no external shocks to the ship," an officer said, though they have yet to find what made such a thundering sound.

The investigation team is also planning to investigate some 10 more crew members, as well as officials of the Sewol's operator, according to officers.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, who is in charge of the pan-government response team, apologized Saturday for causing confusion in the government's handling of the situation.

The government has been under strong criticism for bungling its initial response to the accident. It has been unable to figure out exactly how many people were aboard, and it revised the figure, as well as the numbers of those rescued and missing, many times.

"There has been confusion as the ministries concerned failed to share the information on time and have tried to hurriedly announce any updates without coordination," Chung said, extending his apology to the people.

Stressing that it now has a "well-organized system," the prime minister vowed "to strive to deliver exact information in a swift manner and to lead search operations in a way that doesn't harm any survivors."




사망자 4명 추가 수습…총 사망자 33명

세월호 사고 발생 나흘째인 19일 오후 8시 현재 총 33명의 사망자 시신이 수습됐다.

범정부사고대책본부는 이날 오후 6시 진도군청과 팽목항, 실내체육관에서 동시에 공식 브리핑을 열고 이날 오후 4시 55분께 구명조끼를 착용한 신원미상의 여성 사망자를, 5시 47분께도 신원미상의 사망자 1명을, 5시 58분께는 신원미상의 여성의 시신을 각각 추가로 발견해 수습했다고 밝혔다.

이들 3명은 애초 앞서 4층 창문 안쪽에서 민간 잠수사들이 목격했다고 말한 사망자들은 아닌 것으로 알려졌다.

진도군청에서 발표를 맡은 고명석 해양경찰청 장비기술국장은 이날 야간 수색구조활동을 위해 일몰부터 다음날 날이 밝을 때까지 총 4차례, 880발의 조명탄을 투하할 방침이라고 설명했다.

또한 저인망 어선 4척을 투입해 시신유실에 대비하고 있고 야간 조명을 지원하기 위해 채낚기 9척(여수3척, 남해3척)이 순차적으로 사고현장으로 이동 중이라고 덧붙였다.

이날 오후까지 선내 수색을 시도했으나 성공하지 못하다가 오후 5시부터 5시 20분 사이 잠수사 3개조, 6명을 투입해 선체를 수색 중이라고 밝혔다.









 
WooriBank
 
  • Korea eases restrictions on cafes, gyms
  • Uniqlo makes rebound after closing unprofitable stores
  • New virus cases in 500s for 5th day as gov't announces eased restrictions
  • Bangladeshi embassy opens 2021 with series of events
  • Deepfake technology in music welcomed, with caution
  • Establishing laws not panacea for solving social issues
  • Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden's inauguration
  • Tenbagger companies' resurgence in stock markets
  • Pompeo pushes new claim of China covering up COVID origin
  • End of Merkel era begins as German CDU picks new party leader
  • Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri indicted for mobilizing gang members to threaten people Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri indicted for mobilizing gang members to threaten people
  • Film 'Minari' to hit local theaters in March Film 'Minari' to hit local theaters in March
  • BLACKPINK's Jennie gets 600 million YouTube views with debut single 'Solo' BLACKPINK's Jennie gets 600 million YouTube views with debut single 'Solo'
  • K-pop star IU to drop new single 'Celebrity' this month K-pop star IU to drop new single 'Celebrity' this month
  • iKON's Bobby to make solo comeback iKON's Bobby to make solo comeback
DARKROOM
  • Second Trump impeachment [PHOTOS]

    Second Trump impeachment [PHOTOS]

  • Pro-Trump rioters breach the US Capitol

    Pro-Trump rioters breach the US Capitol

  • Our children deserve better (Part 2)

    Our children deserve better (Part 2)

  • Migrants hard hit by COVID-19: UN migration agency

    Migrants hard hit by COVID-19: UN migration agency

  • Happy New Year 2021

    Happy New Year 2021

WooriBank
  • About Korea Times
  • CEO Message
  • Times History
  • Content Sales
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Ombudsman
  • hankookilbo
  • Dongwha Group
  • Code of Ethics
Copyright