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South Korean Ferry ‘The Sewol’ Sinks
On April 16, a ferry in South Korea called The Sewol sunk. The majority of passengers on board were Danwon High school students attending a field trip to Jeju; a resort island located in South Korea.
The confirmed death toll so far has been 50 people with more than 250 still missing and a total of 175 survivors. Rescue efforts have proven futile due to harsh weather conditions causing strong currents and bad visibility. Many of the missing passengers are believed to be trapped inside of the ferry.
Survivor Kim Seong-mok told YTN that the ferry operator made an announcement asking passengers to stay put, he never heard any announcement telling passengers to escape.
Texts messages from the students on the Sewol ferry have been shared with various news outlets. One of the text messages shared by Los Angeles Times was between a passenger and his mother. He wrote, “Mom, this might be my last chance to tell you I love you.”
Coast guard official Kim jin-cheoi confirmed the tragic news that “Thirteen bodies have been found in the ship, while other bodies were found floating outside.”
23 students were among the dead. Due to feelings of guilt, the vice-principal of Danwon High hung himself outside of a gymnasium in Jindo where relatives of the missing passengers have gathered to receive news of their loved ones.
Mother Of Missing Passenger Writes "I Love You" While Waiting For News In Jindo/Image Source: torontosun.com
The ferry’s captain, Lee Joon-seok, was arrested with Sewol’s three helmsmen and third mate according to prosecutors as Lee had reportedly waited 30 minutes before ordering an evacuation of the ferry.
He justified his decision by stating, “At the time, the current was very strong, the temperature of the ocean water was cold, and I thought that if people left the ferry without (proper) judgment, if they were not wearing a life jacket, and even if they were, they would drift away and face many other difficulties. The rescue boats had not arrived yet, nor were there any civilian fishing ships or other boats nearby at that time.”
To top it off it seems as though Lee had also abandoned his ship as he was among the first people to reach the shore by rescue boat. The captain has almost 40 years of experience at sea and faces five charges including violation of maritime law and negligence of duty.
Captain of The Sewol, Lee Joon-seok/Image Source: cbc.ca
Senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin told reporters that the third mate had ordered a turn so sharp which caused the vessel to list, as it passed an area with islands clustered close together with fast ocean currents. Yang also said that the two crew members arrested had failed to reduce the speed near the islands and to carry out the necessary measures to save lives.
According to CBC, three vessels with cranes arrived at the accident site in order to salvage the ferry, but they are unable to hoist the ship without the approval of family members who believed their loved ones are still inside of the ferry. The act of ‘lifting’ the Sewol could endanger the survivors according to a coast guard officer.
Featured image: torontosun
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