14 DAY TRIAL // A ferry carrying 477 passengers, including students and teachers, has capsized and sank off the southern coast of South Korea on Wednesday morning. Two people lost their lives and at least 295 passengers are still missing.
Authorities have initiated a massive rescue operation to try and save the ship's passengers. At least 18 rescue helicopters, 34 coastguard and navy vessels, and professional divers were dispatched to the scene and have been working for over five hours scouring the waters in search for survivors. So far, they have reportedly rescued around 170 people.
“There are around 450 people on board and we have coastguard vessels, commercial ships in the area, as well as helicopters all engaged in the rescue operation,” a spokesperson for the South Korean coastguard said.
Given that the ferry quickly rolled over and sank, authorities fear that many may have been trapped inside. So, special navy forces are also searching the inside of the capsized ferry, a vice minister of security and public administration announced.
Apparently, the exact number of rescued people could not be confirmed by authorities, who say that some passengers could have been rescued by private fishing boats.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the vessel sent out a distress signal at 8:58 a.m. local time about 20 kilometers off the island of Byungpoong. The ferry, identified as the Sewol, was traveling between the port of Incheon and South Korea's resort island of Jeju.
As it turns out, the majority of the passengers, more than 300, were students from a high school near Seoul who were on their way to Jeju Island as part of a school trip.
The South Korean coastguard officials confirmed two casualties. The dead passengers were described as a 27-year-old female crew member and a male student who died in hospital.
The cause of the disaster hasn't been officially determined yet, but there are reports that the ferry may have hit a reef or another vessel during thick fog. The South Korean government mentioned that their efforts are now focused on the rescue operation, and they will later investigate the cause of the incident.
“There was a bang, and then the ship suddenly tilted over. [...] Downstairs were restaurants, shops and entertainment rooms, and those who were there are feared to have failed to escape,” a survivor said, according to the Time.
The Sewol is a car and passenger ferry that can carry up to 6,800 tons. It is said to have departed the town of Incheon, in northwest South Korea, at around 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday.