By Lee Kyung-min
Recovery crews will start preparation work today to search the interior of the Sewol after they finish washing the exterior of the wreck using high-pressure industrial washing equipment.
They started washing the exterior of the ferry Thursday, to remove mud, oil and salt residue, rust and barnacles, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Six teams comprised of 14 recovery workers from Korea Salvage, a local contractor hired by the ministry to conduct the salvage operation, began the work at 10 p.m. using six water cannons, forklifts and elevators to clean the exterior. They plan to finish the work today.
The ministry dismissed concerns that the powerful equipment, which shoots water with 500-bar force, will pose further damage to the ferry’s exterior. Bar is the measurement of water pressure and one bar is the force needed to raise water to a height of 10 meters.
As most of the current disfigurement of the ferry resulted from its more than 17,000-ton weight, the possibility of external shock by water cannons resulting in damage to the ferry is minimal to none, the ministry added.
The preparation to search the ferry’s interior will begin today, after most of the washing of the exterior is complete, the ministry stated.
“We will set up two 26-meter high working towers, one in the front of the ferry and the other in the rear of the ferry, to determine the optimal spot to make the entrance into the ferry,” a Korea Salvage official said. The Sewol, currently lying on its left, is 22 meters high, the equivalent of a nine story apartment building.
On Saturday, a 1-meter-high security fence will be set up around the ferry to prevent the workers from falling while working on the steep, round and slippery surface of the ferry. The process will take up to a week given the time needed to weld the steel fences together.
Sterilization of the ferry’s interior will also begin that day. Fumigation trucks will be placed onto an elevator to spray the chemical agent into the ferry through openings on the hull and windows. The process is crucial in preventing the exposure to harmful gas and other detrimental environmental factors to the workers who have to enter inside to search the remains of the nine missing victims.
On Sunday and Monday, officials from the ministry and Korea Salvage, with cooperation of Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, will conduct an on-site inspection to determine whether the sterilization was complete.
They will assess whether any inflammable gas remains inside, as well as determine the possibility of collapse, and major health and safety concerns for recovery crews to enter the ferry. A detailed plan about the interior search will be outlined early next week.
Meanwhile, the ministry said negotiations are underway to secure insurance money to cover a fifth of the costs needed to deal with the aftermath of the Sewol disaster.
The ministry and the Korea Shipping Association are in negotiations, with the former asking the latter to pay 110 billion won ($121 million) in insurance.
Earlier in April 2015, the ministry said an estimated 550 billion won ($487 million) would be needed to deal with the ferry sinking. It included 173.1 billion won for compensation, 120.5 billion for salvage operations and 35.6 billion won for emergency relief for the victims.