South Korea president says ferry captain’s actions were like ‘murder’
South Korea president says ferry captain’s actions were like ‘murder’
Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the Sewol, the ferry that sank last Wednesday off South Korea’s south-west coast, was arrested at the weekend along with two other officers, and four more members of the crew were detained on Monday.
South Korea’s president, Park Geun-hye, said Lee and some members of his crew had committed “unforgivable, murderous acts” by refusing to order an evacuation until the ship was listing so severely that most passengers where trapped, and accused them of “murdering” more than 300 passengers.
According to tracking data Lee was not in the on the bridge when the ship began to list after making a sharp wright turn towards the end of his voyage from the western port of Incheon to the resort Island of Jeju, and the evacuation order came 30 minutes after the first distress signal was sent.
Lee said that he had initially ordered the people to satay put due to the rough conditions and the absence of recue boats in the area, because he feared passengers would drown even if they were wearing life jackets.
The confirmed number of death rose to 64 on Monday with 238 people still missing, but amid grief and recriminations, recue workers continue to search the wreckage in the faint hope of finding someone alive inside an air pocked.
Nevertheless, vessels equipped with cranes will not be used to hoist the Sewol out of the water until the rescue workers are certain that there are no survivors.
Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the Sewol, the ferry that sank last Wednesday off South Korea’s south-west coast, was arrested at the weekend along with two other officers, and four more members of the crew were detained on Monday.
South Korea’s president, Park Geun-hye, said Lee and some members of his crew had committed “unforgivable, murderous acts” by refusing to order an evacuation until the ship was listing so severely that most passengers where trapped, and accused them of “murdering” more than 300 passengers.
According to tracking data Lee was not in the on the bridge when the ship began to list after making a sharp wright turn towards the end of his voyage from the western port of Incheon to the resort Island of Jeju, and the evacuation order came 30 minutes after the first distress signal was sent.
Lee said that he had initially ordered the people to satay put due to the rough conditions and the absence of recue boats in the area, because he feared passengers would drown even if they were wearing life jackets.
The confirmed number of death rose to 64 on Monday with 238 people still missing, but amid grief and recriminations, recue workers continue to search the wreckage in the faint hope of finding someone alive inside an air pocked.
Nevertheless, vessels equipped with cranes will not be used to hoist the Sewol out of the water until the rescue workers are certain that there are no survivors.