DIVERS PULL BODIES FROM SUNKEN FERRY; TOLL TOPS 52
The confirmed death toll from South Korea’s ferry disaster rose past 50 on Sunday, Apr. 20 as divers finally found a way inside the sunken vessel, quickly discovering more than a dozen bodies in what almost certainly is just the beginning of a massive and grim recovery effort. About 250 people are still missing from the ship, the vast majority of them high school students who had been on a holiday trip. Beginning late Saturday, when divers broke a window, and continuing into Sunday, multiple teams of divers have found various routes into the ferry, discovering bodies in different spots, coast guard official Koh Myung-seok said at a briefing. Thirteen bodies have been found in the ship, while six other bodies were found floating outside Sunday, bringing the official death toll to 52, the coast guard said. (Source: Vesseltracker; Photo: Myrecordjournal). Sewol Operator Involved in Many Accidents The operator of the South Korean passenger ferry Sewol has been involved in several accidents in recent years, it has emerged. Amid the latest incident in which 50 people have been confirmed dead and more than 250 others are still missing, the ship's operator, Chonghaejin Marine, is under the spotlight. The Yonhap news agency, citing earlier records, reported the vessel operator has been involved in maritime accidents at least once in every two or three years. The incidents include engine glitches or collisions with other vessels. Prior to the present incident, one of the passenger vessels, with 141 people aboard, operated by the company rammed a fishing boat in the Yellow Sea. However, no casualties were reported following the mishap, which took place three weeks before the Sewol disaster. In February 2013, a 6,322-tonne passenger ship belonging to Chonghaejin was delayed by several hours due to a generator glitch sparking severe protests from passengers. Meanwhile, the relatives of the passengers of the sunken Sewol have expressed their outrage at the authorities over the rescue operation. Up to 100 distraught family members of the victims clashed with the police when they attempted to march to Seoul from Jindo island.
(Source: Vesseltracker)
