Yesterday, the South Korean ferry Sewol capsized while carrying approximately 480 people. Rescue workers and divers are searching for the 300 that are still missing, but their attempts are hindered by a strong current, mist and rain at the site.
Most of the people on board were secondary school students from Danwon High School, Ansan, who were travelling from Incheon to Jeju. The 6825-ton vessel sent a distress signal from about 20 kilometres off Byungpoong Island at 08:58 Korea Standard Time.
Rescue Operation
Some 180 passengers were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels, which were first on the scene before the arrival of Korean Coast Guard and ROK Navy ships, backed by helicopters approximately thirty minutes later. There are ongoing rescue efforts by the South Korean government, the United States Navy, civilian groups and individuals.
In the past 24 hours, nine bodies were recovered. So far, divers have been unable to enter the shipwreck and the chance of finding more survivors is slim due to the cold water (12 degrees Celsius).
Capsizing
About 20 kilometres off the southwest coast, the ferry began to list badly as it headed for Jeju. There were reports of the ferry having veered off course, but co-ordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far out of the regular shipping lane.
Rescued passengers reported hearing a loud, screeching noise and the ferry coming to a shuddering halt – indicating it may have run aground. Rescued passengers also reported that they were told not to move by an announcement over the ship's intercom system, whilst the ship was sinking. By the end of the day the vessel was inverted and almost completely submerged.
Causes
A member of the crew of a government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the ferry's crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was most likely some sort of malfunction on the vessel. As of today, the ship is suspected to have capsized due to a sudden turn, which caused the ship's cargo to pile on one side, causing the ship to sink.
Sewol
The 6825-ton Sewol was built by the Hayashikanae company. The ship is 146 m long and 22 m wide. The ship had capacity for 921 passengers – the maximum capacity, including the crew members, is 956. It was operated by Cheonghaejin Shipping Company. It had room for 180 cars and could also carry 20-foot shipping containers.
Sewol had operated in Japan for 18 years (from 1994). After the regulatory checks by the government of South Korea, the ship began operating in South Korea on 15 March 2013. The ship has since then made two round-trips from Incheon to Jeju. The last check took place 19 February, a first-degree Intermediate survey.
