Weeping, angry relatives of 46 crewmembers missing after a mysterious explosion sank a South Korean navy ship sailed around the site yesterday as rescue teams took to the air and sea still hoping to find survivors.
None has been found since an initial rescue of 58 sailors from the 1,200-ton Cheonan that sank early on Saturday near the tense border with North Korea. No bodies have been discovered.
Fierce waves and high winds have hampered the search.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The ship was on a routine patrol with other vessels in the Yellow Sea off South Korea’s west coast. The exact cause of the explosion remained unclear and officials said it could take weeks to determine.
It is one of South Korea’s worst naval disasters. In 1974, a ship sank off the southeast coast in stormy weather, killing 159 sailors and coast guard personnel. In 1967, 39 sailors were killed by North Korean artillery.
Despite the location of the sinking, North Korea did not appear to be involved in the incident.
“We have detected ‘no special movements’ by North Korean forces; however, we, as a command, continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for any contingency,” General Walter Sharp, chief of the 28,500 US troops in South Korea, said in a statement yesterday.
South Korean troops were maintaining “solid military readiness,” the defense ministry said. It also said a US military ship would join rescue operations today.
The Cheonan sank 2km from Baengnyeong Island, which is about 17km from North Korea.
The explosion tore open the rear hull of the Cheonan, shut down its engine and power and caused the ship to sink in a little over three hours. The ship then broke into two pieces, defense ministry officials said yesterday.
Rescue ships retrieved about 20 life jackets and 15 safety helmets in waters 11km to 29km away from the site, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Park Seong-woo said.
The weather conditions had improved from Saturday, but the Yonhap news agency said dozens of military divers quickly withdrew due to rapid sea currents. Divers also unsuccessfully tried to reach the wreckage on Saturday.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to “thoroughly investigate” the sinking and make their best efforts to rescue any possible survivors.
As hopes faded for the missing crew, about 80 family members aboard a navy patrol boat sailed around the site and watched rescue operations.
“My son! My son!” one crying woman shouted while boarding the ship at a naval base south of Seoul for the journey to the accident area as other relatives wailed in grief.
Officials will only be able to determine the cause of the explosion after the ship is salvaged, a naval officer said yesterday. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department policy, said it is likely to take about a month to salvage a ship of that size.
A survivor, Staff Sergeant Shin Eun-chong, 24, told relatives Saturday that he was on night duty when he heard a huge boom behind him that split apart the ship. The vessel started tilting, and his glasses fell off his face as he hit the deck, relatives told reporters.
Some families also vented anger at the military, accusing authorities of a cover-up and saying survivors told them the Cheonan was leaky and in need of repair. They shouted “Liars!” and jumped on a car carrying the rescued ship captain as it drove away.
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