Tuesday 22 April 2014

South Korea ferry: Death toll reaches 108

Rescue team members work to rescue passengers believed to have been trapped in the sunken ferry Sewol near the buoys which were installed to mark the vessel in the water off the southern coast near Jindo, South Korea on 21 April 2014
The confirmed death toll from the South Korean ferry that capsized last week has reached 108, as divers recovered more bodies from the sunken hull. Rescuers searching for bodies have been able to take advantage of better weather on Tuesday, officials say, with more than 190 passengers still missing or presumed trapped inside the vessel.
The ferry tipped over and sank within two hours, but it is not yet clear why. The crew have been criticised for allegedly failing to save passengers. Five have been charged with not fulfilling their duty to evacuate passengers safely, officials told the South Korean Yonhap news agency.


At least six other crew members are reported to have been detained. As the ship listed passengers were told to remain in rooms and cabins, reports suggest, amid confusion on the bridge over whether to order them to abandon ship. The first distress call from the sinking ferry was made by a boy with a shaking voice, officials told Reuters.
It reported that his plea for help was followed by about 20 other emergency calls from children on board the ship.
The bodies of a passengers aboard the Sewol, a South Korean ferry which sank in the water off the southern coast, are carried by rescue workers upon its arrival at a port in Jindo, South Korea, on 21 April 2014
Graphic showing location of sunken ferry and timeline of events

Source: BBC

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