Ferry Sinks in South Korea, Leaves Almost 300 Still Missing

Jindo, South Korea – Nearly 300 people, generally high school students gone missing when a ferry sank off South Korea’s southwest coast on Wednesday. Rescuers were able to save 174 people at time, with four confirmed fatalities.

There are about 459 people on board the ship according to the coast guard officials. And apparently, although they are reluctant to stop the rescue operation, rescuers are now having difficulty on the procedure of finding the remaining passengers in the middle of the night.

The hapless ferry boarded students who were from the same high school in Seoul sailing to their destination, Jeju Island for a field trip. Jeju Island was approximately 100 km (60 miles) south of the Korean peninsula.

At present, there were no legitimate reports to settle the issue why the Sewol ferry sank in the southwest waters of South Korea. However, some survivors say they heard a loud noise just before the trip went wrong.

Cha Eun-ok, who was one of the passengers and was just taking pictures on the deck of the ferry at the time said, “It was fine. Then the ship went ‘boom’ and there was a noise of cargo falling.”

“The on-board announcement told people to stay put … people who stayed are trapped,” she said in Jindo, the adjacent town to the area of the mishap.

Whilst few families are already relieved to see their rescued sons and daughters, those of passengers still missing are left with no option but to be still and wait bearing the agony of knowing the possibility of the imminent fate of their loved ones , death.

Since they lack in ample light from above and the aware of the presence of wide range of threats underwater, the rescuers were forced to stop the operation and continue next thing in the morning.

The survivors in Jindo were for the time being taken into a gymnasium, where they crowd together on the floor wrapped in blankets, whist on field medical practitioners make sure they were well-treated.

 

Reference/s:

1. Dayrit, T. Ferry Capsizes in South Korea, 300 People Mostly Students Still Missing. (2014, April 16). Retrieved from http://kickerdaily.com/ferry-capsizes-in-south-korea-300-people-mostly-students-still-missing/
2. Kim, N. Over 280 missing after South Korean ferry capsizes. (2014, April 16). Retrieved from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-300-people-missing-south-korea-ferry-sinks-073745553.html
3. AP. Ferry sinks in South Korea, nearly 300 still missing. (2014, April 16). Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/15/ferry-sinks-south-korea/7762783/