Thứ Hai, 21 tháng 4, 2014
South Korea ferry: Death toll passes 100
The confirmed death toll from the South Korean ferry that capsized last week has passed 100, as divers recovered more bodies from the sunken hull.
A total of 104 people are now known to have died, but another 198 are missing, presumed trapped inside the vessel.
The ferry tipped over and sank within two hours, but it is not yet clear why.
Seven crew members have been detained, however, amid intense criticism of their failure to evacuate all passengers as the ship listed.
Passengers were told to remain in rooms and cabin, reports suggest, amid confusion on the bridge over whether to order them to abandon ship.
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
Teams of divers have been searching the sunken ferry for the bodies of those who died
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
Bodies are being brought to shore - where many relatives wait for news of their loved ones
An altar with prayer offerings for missing passengers onboard South Korean ferry Sewol, which capsized on Wednesday, is seen next to the sea at a port where family members of missing passengers are waiting for news on 22 April 2014
The accident - involving so many teenagers - has led to immense shock and grief in South Korea
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday condemned the conduct of some of the crew, calling it "akin to murder".
Robot ready
A total of 174 passengers were rescued from the Sewol, which capsized as it sailed from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju.
But there were 476 people on board, including 339 children and teachers on a school trip. Many were trapped inside the ship as it listed to one side and then sank.
Military divers have been searching the ship for those who died. Bodies of victims are being brought back to the port on Jindo island at a steady rate now, reports the BBC's Jonathan Head, who is in Jindo.
Lucy Williamson on the traumatised town that lost its students
Divers have managed to reach many of the cabins in the hull of the upturned ferry, although they are still trying to get into the ship's restaurant, where they believe many of the passengers were trapped.
They have also loaded an underwater robot at the port this morning, ready to be used in the operation to bring the hull to the surface, our correspondent adds.
Rescue officials say they will keep searching with divers for another two days, but that the families of the victims have agreed that the salvage operation can begin after that.
Investigations are focusing on whether the ferry took too sharp a turn - perhaps destabilising the vessel - before it started listing and whether an earlier evacuation order could have saved lives.
Captain Lee Joon-seok was not on the bridge when the ferry began listing. It was being steered by a third mate who had never navigated the waters where the accident occurred, prosecutors say.
The captain and two other crew members have been charged with negligence of duty and violation of maritime law. Four more crew members were detained on Monday.
Graphic showing location of sunken ferry and timeline of events
bbc graphic
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