Sewol-ho ferry tragedy: Day 15

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• published: 30 Apr 2014
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Two weeks have passed since the tragic Sewol-ho ferry disaster put the entire nation in a state of shock, sorrow and frustration. The number of confirmed dead stands at 212, and ninety people still remain unaccounted for. For a look at the latest developments on the search-and-rescue front and the ongoing investigation our Kwon Soa joins us live from the news center. Soa, what's the latest? A couple of hours ago, two more bodies were recovered, one apparently being that from a male student on the fourth floor of the ship, and the other of a female student around 1 kilometer away from the accident site. Earlier this Wednesday, five bodies were recovered at around 3 a.m. on the left side of the fourth floor, and in the lobby on the fifth floor. Although the weather conditions are favorable with clear skies, divers are still encountering problems, due to high tides and fast currents. The search operations are being halted periodically, but rescue crews will do what they can to gain better access inside the ferry. At around 9 this evening, the tides will be at their calmest for the last time this Wednesday. Let's hope that this crucial time window brings about results. Soa, can you give us more details on how the operations are unfolding today? The navy, maritime police and civilian divers will continue with the search today focusing on the fourth floor, where initially most of the missing were thought to be, but also on the fifth floor lobby, where many of the recently retrieved bodies were located. The commander of the recovery operation thinks the bodies found in the lobby were of students who had been on the fourth floor. "As the waters started coming in, the students probably instinctively rushed to the upper floor" The students most likely tried to make their way up the stairs to the fifth floor, to get onto the deck of the ship, But, unfortunately they were not able to get out. Meanwhile, a diving bell, which would allow divers to stay underwater for longer periods of time, could not be deployed earlier in the day due to the rough water conditions, but further tries will be made. Soa, what are the latest developments regarding the probe and also the criminal charges against those associated with the accident? A very shocking revelation was made a little bit ago regarding rescue operations in the early days of the Sewol-ho ferry sinking. A lawmaker of the Parliamentary Defense Committee said according to a report by the defense ministry, the maritime police restricted the navy from getting close to the accident site, and claimed Undine, a private rescue operation company should dive first. The company was hired by the operator of the sunken ferry Chonghaejin Marine. In the meantime, a special investigation team is speeding up its probes, especially regarding the practical owner of the ferry operator, Yoo Byung-eon. One of seven key figures linked to Yoo, the CEO of the cosmetics company Dapanda named Song Kook-bin, was questioned at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office this morning on suspicion of corruption. As for the Yoo family, prosecutors are going to first summon the members currently in the country, which includes Yoo's children. Meanwhile, the latest investigation reveals that the Sewol-ho ferry had been put on sale a month before the accident. It was being sold for an amount that would have resulted in financial losses of roughly 5.8 million dollars Investigators are trying to figure out why. Soa, and many of the students that survived and were hospitalized after the accident were allowed to go home today. How are they doing? Yes, out of the 88 patients from the Sewol-ho ferry accident that were hospitalized at Korea University Ansan Hospital, 74 were Danwon High School students, and 70 were discharged this Wednesday after lunch time. Doctors said in a briefing earlier that their conditions had improved considerably. "It's been determined that most of the students don't have any symptoms that could trigger dangerous after-effects in the near future." Many had shown signs of post-traumatic stress following the accident. The president of the hospital said the students should not be exposed to any news on the Sewol-ho or anything else that might remind them of that tragic day. On the request of the students, they went to the group memorial altar in Ansan to say their good byes to their fellow classmates and teachers who did not survive. That's all I have for now, but I'll be back with more updates in our further newscast.