Body of boy who raised alarm believed found
Updated: 2014-04-24 09:55
(Agencies)
|
|||||||||||
|
His parents had checked his body and clothes and concluded he was their son, the Yonhap news agency said. The crew had told the children to stay put as the ferry sank.
The Sewol sank on April 16 on a routine trip from the port of Incheon, near Seoul, to the southern holiday island of Jeju. Investigations are focused on human error or a mechanical fault, with media saying the ship was three times overloaded, with cargo poorly stowed and inadequate ballast water.
Captain Lee Joon-seok, 69, and other crew members who abandoned ship have been arrested on negligence charges. Lee was also charged with undertaking an "excessive change of course without slowing down".
Of the 476 passengers and crew on board, 339 were children and teachers on a high school outing. Only 174 people were rescued and the remainder are presumed to have drowned.
The confirmed death toll on Thursday was 159, with many of those found at the back of the ship on the fourth deck.
The first distress call from the sinking vessel was made by a boy with a shaking voice, three minutes after the vessel made its fateful last turn, a fire service officer told Reuters.
He called the emergency 119 number which put him through to the fire service, which in turn forwarded him to the coastguard two minutes later. That was followed by about 20 other calls from children on board the ship to the emergency number.
"Save us! We're on a ship and I think it's sinking," Yonhap quoted the boy as saying.
The fire service official asked him to switch the phone to the captain, media said, and the boy replied: "Do you mean teacher?"
The pronunciation of the words for "captain" and "teacher" is similar in Korean.
Divers have been swimming through the dark, cold waters in the ferry, feeling for bodies with their hands.
"We are trained for hostile environments, but it's hard to be brave when we meet bodies in dark water," said diver Hwang Dae-sik.
Most of those who survived made it out on deck and jumped into rescue boats but many of the children did not leave their cabins, not questioning their elders as is customary in hierarchical Korean society. They paid for their obedience with their lives.
Related Stories
Death toll surges to 87 in S.Korean ferry disaster 2014-04-21 20:02
Prosecutor says 4 ferry crew members detained 2014-04-21 12:28
65 dead, 237 missing in S. Korean ferry sinking accident 2014-04-21 08:20
Divers find bodies inside sunken ferry 2014-04-21 07:27
Prosecutors extend ferry captain's detention as death toll mounts 2014-04-20 18:49
Communications between sunken ferry, traffic center disclosed 2014-04-20 17:31
Today's Top News
Celebrities give thoughts on World Book Day
France on fine line over deficit-cut
Town 'Kill Jews' mulls name change
133 could face prostitution charges
Xiamen to boost tourism from Europe
Premier Li promotes wider market access
China cancels 14,455 press cards
Google Glass 'works' to bolster image
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Beijing integrates with Tianjin, Hebei |
Enemies share eternity together |
Expats flee big, smoggy cities |
Life after an only child dies |
Parents put kindergartens to the test |
White Crane dance takes flight |