South Korea ferry disaster: transcripts show evacuation panic as divers extract more bodies
- 10 years ago
Originally published April 21, 2014
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The South Korean coast guard on Sunday released a transcript illustrating the panic among passengers and confusion of crew members during the evacuation of the ferry Sewol that sank on Wednesday, April 16, off the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The ship sank during a journey from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju in waters several kilometers north of Byeongpung Island, around 470 kilometers from Seoul, according to the coast guard.
Details of passengers panicking on the ferry, trapped in crowded corridors and unable to escape, suggest that it wasn't until half an hour after the first distress call that controllers knew that evacuation had been ordered and passengers were told to put on life jackets, the BBC reported.
The captain said he delayed the move for fear people would drift away from the boat.
According to police, an inexperienced third mate, and not the captain, was in the steering room when the accident took place. The crew member, identified only as Park, said she did not make a sharp turn, but "the steering turned much more than usual," CNN said.
The captain said he plotted the ship's course, and then went to his cabin briefly. It was at that time, the captain said, that the accident happened.
The captain, who was also one of the first people to be rescued, violated an internationally recognized rule that says he must stay on the vessel until all personnel were safely taken off the ship.
Park was arrested early Saturday, together with the captain and another crew member with prosecutors saying their actions might have exacerbated the disaster. They are now facing charges including negligence and causing injuries leading to deaths, a maritime police spokesman said.
On Saturday, three days after the sinking, divers were able to enter the ferry and extract more bodies, bringing the death toll to at least 58 people.
Helped by 34 aircraft and about 200 ships using strong lights, almost 600 divers have also been able to carry out rescue operations at night. At least 244 people however are still missing.
Relatives are anxious for the bodies to be retrieved before they decompose, but currents in the Yellow Sea are still strong and the visibility remains challenging for rescuers, BBC reported.
At the time of the accident there were 476 people on board, including 339 children and teachers on a school trip, BBC reported.
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The South Korean coast guard on Sunday released a transcript illustrating the panic among passengers and confusion of crew members during the evacuation of the ferry Sewol that sank on Wednesday, April 16, off the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The ship sank during a journey from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju in waters several kilometers north of Byeongpung Island, around 470 kilometers from Seoul, according to the coast guard.
Details of passengers panicking on the ferry, trapped in crowded corridors and unable to escape, suggest that it wasn't until half an hour after the first distress call that controllers knew that evacuation had been ordered and passengers were told to put on life jackets, the BBC reported.
The captain said he delayed the move for fear people would drift away from the boat.
According to police, an inexperienced third mate, and not the captain, was in the steering room when the accident took place. The crew member, identified only as Park, said she did not make a sharp turn, but "the steering turned much more than usual," CNN said.
The captain said he plotted the ship's course, and then went to his cabin briefly. It was at that time, the captain said, that the accident happened.
The captain, who was also one of the first people to be rescued, violated an internationally recognized rule that says he must stay on the vessel until all personnel were safely taken off the ship.
Park was arrested early Saturday, together with the captain and another crew member with prosecutors saying their actions might have exacerbated the disaster. They are now facing charges including negligence and causing injuries leading to deaths, a maritime police spokesman said.
On Saturday, three days after the sinking, divers were able to enter the ferry and extract more bodies, bringing the death toll to at least 58 people.
Helped by 34 aircraft and about 200 ships using strong lights, almost 600 divers have also been able to carry out rescue operations at night. At least 244 people however are still missing.
Relatives are anxious for the bodies to be retrieved before they decompose, but currents in the Yellow Sea are still strong and the visibility remains challenging for rescuers, BBC reported.
At the time of the accident there were 476 people on board, including 339 children and teachers on a school trip, BBC reported.
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