At least 2 dead, 293 missing after S. Korea ferry full of students sinks

April 16, 2014: South Korean rescue helicopters fly over a passenger ship.AP/Yonhap

South Korean officials said Wednesday that nearly 300 people were still missing several hours after a passenger ferry sank off that country's southern coast, leaving at least two dead and seven injured. 

A government official had said earlier Wednesday that around 100 people were unaccounted for, but the number was later revised upward due to a tallying error. 

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The ferry was carrying 477 people, most of them high school students, and was bound for the island of Jeju when it sent a distress call at around 9 a.m. local time Wednesday as it began leaning to one side, according to South Korea's Ministry of Security and Public Administration.  

The government said about 95 percent of the ship was submerged.

Two coast guard officers told the Associated Press that a 27-year-old woman named Park Ji-yeong and another unidentified person had died. Both spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules. 

Media photos showed wet students, some without shoes, some wrapped in blankets, tended to by emergency workers. One student, Lim Hyung-min, told broadcaster YTN from a gym on a nearby island that he and other students jumped into the ocean wearing life jackets and then swam to a nearby rescue boat.

"As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another," Lim said, adding that some people were bleeding. Once he jumped, the ocean "was so cold. ... I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live."

The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes or 2 hours, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules. Officials said mud on the ocean floor made underwater search operations difficult.

Local media photographs showed the ship heavily tilted onto its side, partially submerged, as helicopters flew overhead and rescue vessels and a small boat covered with an orange tarp floated nearby. Photos showed wet students wrapped in blankets as emergency workers tended to them.

"We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped," a passenger told the YTN news channel by telephone, The Guardian reported. "The boat is tilting and we have to hold on to something to stay seated." 

Park Ji-hee, a first-year student, said she saw about a dozen parents crying at the school entrance and many cars and taxies gathered at the gate as she left in the morning.

She said some students in her classroom began to cry as they saw the news on their handsets. Teachers tried to soothe them, saying that the students on the ship would be fine.

Passenger Kim Seong-mok, speaking from a nearby island after his rescue, told YTN that he was "certain" people were trapped inside the ship as water quickly filled up inside and the severe tilt of the ferry kept them from reaching the exits. Some people yelled at those who couldn't get out, urging them to break windows.

Kim said that after having breakfast he felt the ferry tilt and then heard it crash into something. He said the ferry operator made an announcement asking that passengers wait and not move from their places. Kim said he didn't hear any announcement telling passengers to escape.

The students are from a high school in Ansan city, near Seoul, and they were on their way to Jeju for a four-day trip, according to a relief team set up by Gyeonggi Province, which governs the city. The ship left Incheon port, just west of Seoul, on Tuesday evening, according to the state-run Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration.

A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and navy divers were sent to the area, Lee Gyeong-og, a vice minister for South Korea's Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a televised news conference. He said President Park Geun-hye ordered a thorough rescue operation to prevent deaths. He said 14 had been injured so far, including one described as serious, and taken to hospitals.

Later Wednesday, 21 navy and 11 coast guard divers began searching the near-sunken ship for survivors, according to emergency officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Published on: 7:14 PM

Novice 'steered South Korea ferry'

Victim's father Kim Byung-kwon: "I should have told her to jump off the boat"

The South Korean ferry that sank on Wednesday was steered by an inexperienced third mate who had never navigated the challenging waters where the accident occurred, prosecutors say.

The third mate is in custody along with the captain and another crew member.

Coastguards confirmed on Saturday that divers had retrieved three bodies from the ferry, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 36.

Some 174 passengers have been rescued, with another 266 still missing.

Recovery operations may take two months, officials say, as the divers battle strong currents and poor visibility to reach the sunken vessel.

"Divers broke through the window of a passenger cabin... and pulled out three bodies," a coastguard official told the AFP news agency on Saturday.

All three were wearing lifejackets, he added.

The Sewol, carrying 476 passengers and crew, capsized during a journey from the port of Incheon in the north-west to the southern holiday island of Jeju.

Ferry captain Lee Joon-seok, 69 - who was not initially on the bridge - faces charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.

'Unfamiliar' waters

Late on Saturday prosecutors said that the third mate had been steering the ferry in waters that were unfamiliar to her.

Asked how long the rescue operation was likely to continue, Shin Won-nam, the head of the Emergency Management Centre, told reporters that it could take weeks, if not months.

"We are not sure about it. But according to the experts, the rescue may last one or two months," he said.

He added that it was very unlikely someone trapped alive after the sinking could survive if it took this long.

Relatives have begun providing DNA samples to help identify the dead.

Sewol Ferry Captain Lee Joon-seok: "I am sorry to the people of South Korea"

Investigations are focusing on a sharp turn the vessel took before it started listing and whether an evacuation order could have saved lives.

Footage from the ship appeared to show instructions from crew members for passengers to remain on board even as it tilted dramatically to one side.

Mr Lee says he delayed the evacuation, fearing passengers would "drift away".

He was shown on television on Saturday following his arrest.

"I am sorry to the people of South Korea for causing a disturbance and I bow my head in apology to the families of the victims," he said.

Funerals have already begun for the victims

Relatives of the missing passengers were shown underwater footage of divers reaching the vessel

Rescue workers continued to search for survivors through Friday night

Search teams installed buoys to mark the position of the ship after it disappeared under the surface on Friday

Some experts believe the ship's tight turn could have dislodged heavy cargo and destabilised the vessel, while others suggest the sinking could have been caused by a collision with a rock.

Messages and phone calls from those inside painted a picture of people trapped in crowded corridors, unable to escape the sharply-listing ferry.

Officials say air has been pumped into the ship to aid any people trapped inside and to help refloat the vessel.

But they say cranes at the site will not be used until they are certain no-one inside is alive.

Nets around ferry

The South Korean coastguard says conditions around the vessel are dangerous, with fast currents, poor visibility and high waves hampering the operation.

The BBC's Jonathan Head says video filmed by divers was shown to relatives

Choi Sang-hwan, deputy director of the national coastguard, said nets would be placed around the sunken ferry to prevent any bodies drifting away.

Some 350 of those on board were students from Danwon High School in Ansan, a suburb of Seoul, who were on a school outing when the ferry sank.

Hundreds of relatives of those on board have been camping at a gymnasium on Jindo island near the scene of the disaster.

Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'South Korea ferry'.

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Published on: 6:30 PM

At least 2 dead, 293 missing after S. Korea ferry full of students sinks

April 16, 2014: South Korean rescue helicopters fly over a passenger ship.AP/Yonhap

South Korean officials said Wednesday that nearly 300 people were still missing several hours after a passenger ferry sank off that country's southern coast, leaving at least two dead and seven injured. 

A government official had said earlier Wednesday that around 100 people were unaccounted for, but the number was later revised upward due to a tallying error. 

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The ferry was carrying 477 people, most of them high school students, and was bound for the island of Jeju when it sent a distress call at around 9 a.m. local time Wednesday as it began leaning to one side, according to South Korea's Ministry of Security and Public Administration.  

The government said about 95 percent of the ship was submerged.

Two coast guard officers told the Associated Press that a 27-year-old woman named Park Ji-yeong and another unidentified person had died. Both spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules. 

Media photos showed wet students, some without shoes, some wrapped in blankets, tended to by emergency workers. One student, Lim Hyung-min, told broadcaster YTN from a gym on a nearby island that he and other students jumped into the ocean wearing life jackets and then swam to a nearby rescue boat.

"As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another," Lim said, adding that some people were bleeding. Once he jumped, the ocean "was so cold. ... I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live."

The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes or 2 hours, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules. Officials said mud on the ocean floor made underwater search operations difficult.

Local media photographs showed the ship heavily tilted onto its side, partially submerged, as helicopters flew overhead and rescue vessels and a small boat covered with an orange tarp floated nearby. Photos showed wet students wrapped in blankets as emergency workers tended to them.

"We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped," a passenger told the YTN news channel by telephone, The Guardian reported. "The boat is tilting and we have to hold on to something to stay seated." 

Park Ji-hee, a first-year student, said she saw about a dozen parents crying at the school entrance and many cars and taxies gathered at the gate as she left in the morning.

She said some students in her classroom began to cry as they saw the news on their handsets. Teachers tried to soothe them, saying that the students on the ship would be fine.

Passenger Kim Seong-mok, speaking from a nearby island after his rescue, told YTN that he was "certain" people were trapped inside the ship as water quickly filled up inside and the severe tilt of the ferry kept them from reaching the exits. Some people yelled at those who couldn't get out, urging them to break windows.

Kim said that after having breakfast he felt the ferry tilt and then heard it crash into something. He said the ferry operator made an announcement asking that passengers wait and not move from their places. Kim said he didn't hear any announcement telling passengers to escape.

The students are from a high school in Ansan city, near Seoul, and they were on their way to Jeju for a four-day trip, according to a relief team set up by Gyeonggi Province, which governs the city. The ship left Incheon port, just west of Seoul, on Tuesday evening, according to the state-run Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration.

A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and navy divers were sent to the area, Lee Gyeong-og, a vice minister for South Korea's Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a televised news conference. He said President Park Geun-hye ordered a thorough rescue operation to prevent deaths. He said 14 had been injured so far, including one described as serious, and taken to hospitals.

Later Wednesday, 21 navy and 11 coast guard divers began searching the near-sunken ship for survivors, according to emergency officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Published on: 4:30 PM

Many missing as S Korea ferry sinks

Lucy Williamson: Images reveal how quickly the ship went down

Almost 300 people remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying 459 people capsized and sank off South Korea.

The ferry, carrying mainly school students, was travelling from the port of Incheon, in the north-west, to the southern resort island of Jeju.

A major rescue effort is under way, involving dozens of ships and helicopters. Those brought to safety were taken to a nearby island.

Three people are now said to have died and at least 13 others have been hurt.

South Korean officials had earlier said that 368 people had been plucked to safety, but later said there had been a counting error.

They have now revised down the number rescued to 164. Officials also revised down the number of people on the ferry from 476.

Images showed the ferry listing at a severe angle and then later almost completely submerged, with only a small part of its hull visible. It sank within two hours of sending a distress signal, reports said.

Cause unclear

Several coast guard, military and commercial vessels were involved in the rescue effort, which unfolded rapidly on Wednesday morning.

Dozens of passengers have been rescued but the fate of many others remains unknown

Reports said the ship capsized and sank within a period of two hours

Teams have brought rescued passengers to shore - at least 13 are reported to be hurt

Military and civilian ships and helicopters have been searching for survivors

Pictures from the scene showed rescue teams balanced on the sinking hull pulling teenagers from cabin windows. Some of their classmates jumped into the sea as the ship went down.

Reports suggest some of those rescued were picked up by nearby commercial vessels. The US Navy was also reported to be sending a ship to assist.

Navy divers were now searching the scene for those unaccounted for, officials said, but the work was challenging.

"There is so much mud in the sea water and the visibility is very low," said Lee Gyeong-og, vice-minister of security and public administration.

One body, of a female crew member, had been recovered from the ship, the coastguard said. Another person, a male high school student, died after being rescued.

One student told local media her friends became trapped.

"Currently, I am in the middle of being rescued. At the time, the ship was turning on its side, and none of us were moving as we were told not to move as it was dangerous," the unnamed student said.

"So, I am not well aware of the situation, but I am told that my friends and other friends could not escape as the passage was blocked. It seems that there are many students who could not get out as the passage was blocked by water."

It is not yet clear what caused the incident, but witnesses described hearing an impact, before the ship listed and quickly sank.

One passenger told the YTN news channel: "We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped.

"The boat is tilting and we have to hold on to something to stay seated," the passenger said.

Another passenger said the ship was "shaking and tilting", with people tripping and bumping into each other.

Weather conditions were described as fine. Yonhap news agency said that the ferry sank at a depth of 30m (90ft).

News agencies said the ferry had sent out a distress signal about 20km (12 miles) off the island of Byungpoong at about 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

"We will try to determine the cause of the accident after rescue operations are over," said Lee Gyeong-og.

Many of the passengers were students from a high school in a suburb of Seoul heading off on a four-day field trip to Jeju.

Angry parents have gathered at the school in Incheon to demand answers, reports the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul.

Earlier reports put the number of passengers on the ferry at about 350. The vessel is reported to have a capacity of up to 900 people.

Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'South Korea ferry'.

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Published on: 4:24 PM

ANOTHER ONE GONE? S. Korea probes report of new Pyongyang purge

The South Korean government is investigating reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has purged the man widely believed to be the new power behind the dictatorial throne after Kim had his uncle deposed and executed late last year.

Free North Korea Radio, a Seoul-based service which broadcasts news to North Korean listeners, first reported rumors that Choe Ryong-hae had been arrested and was being interrogated Friday. Rumors and speculation continued to grow over the weekend to the extent that South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations between the two Koreas, told The Times of London that it was "looking into" the rumors. 

Choe is believed to have succeeded Jang Song-taek as the Stalinist dictatorship's military politburo chief. Jang, who was married to Kim's aunt, the sister of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was executed last December after being accused of plotting to commit "crimes against the state."

The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that South Korean intelligence had assumed that Choe would sooner or later be purged based on the fact that he had not been seen at two major events in late February. The paper cited unnamed experts in suggesting that the root of the possible purge might be a falling-out that occurred in a scramble for control of state-run businesses in the aftermath of Jang's execution. 

Other South Korean officials warned that there would not be any more concrete information as to Choe's possible whereabouts until later this month. "There is no concrete information so we need to wait and see until the Supreme People's Assembly convenes on March 9," one official told the Chosun Ilbo. 

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Published on: 10:02 AM

ANOTHER ONE GONE? S. Korea probes report of new Pyongyang purge

The South Korean government is investigating reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has purged the man widely believed to be the new power behind the dictatorial throne after Kim had his uncle deposed and executed late last year.

Free North Korea Radio, a Seoul-based service which broadcasts news to North Korean listeners, first reported rumors that Choe Ryong-hae had been arrested and was being interrogated Friday. Rumors and speculation continued to grow over the weekend to the extent that South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations between the two Koreas, told The Times of London that it was "looking into" the rumors. 

Choe is believed to have succeeded Jang Song-taek as the Stalinist dictatorship's military politburo chief. Jang, who was married to Kim's aunt, the sister of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was executed last December after being accused of plotting to commit "crimes against the state."

The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that South Korean intelligence had assumed that Choe would sooner or later be purged based on the fact that he had not been seen at two major events in late February. The paper cited unnamed experts in suggesting that the root of the possible purge might be a falling-out that occurred in a scramble for control of state-run businesses in the aftermath of Jang's execution. 

Other South Korean officials warned that there would not be any more concrete information as to Choe's possible whereabouts until later this month. "There is no concrete information so we need to wait and see until the Supreme People's Assembly convenes on March 9," one official told the Chosun Ilbo. 

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Click for more from The Chosun Ilbo

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Published on: 8:53 AM