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Sunken ship found off North Korea | Sunken ship found off North Korea |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The South Korean military says it has located the stern of its warship that sank in mysterious circumstances on Friday following an explosion. | The South Korean military says it has located the stern of its warship that sank in mysterious circumstances on Friday following an explosion. |
The authorities are hoping that some of the 46 crew members still missing may be alive but trapped in underwater air pockets in the wreckage. | The authorities are hoping that some of the 46 crew members still missing may be alive but trapped in underwater air pockets in the wreckage. |
Military diving teams were due to begin a search for survivors. | Military diving teams were due to begin a search for survivors. |
The vessel sank close to the sea border with North Korea; the South says it is open-minded on the cause of the blast. | The vessel sank close to the sea border with North Korea; the South says it is open-minded on the cause of the blast. |
The South's defence minister said it could have been caused by a drifting mine. | |
Rescue officials said at the weekend that the explosion had broken the ship into two parts. Fifty-eight crewmen were saved soon after the ship went down. | Rescue officials said at the weekend that the explosion had broken the ship into two parts. Fifty-eight crewmen were saved soon after the ship went down. |
Rescue race | Rescue race |
Navy divers have been hampered by strong currents and murky waters, but have now located the stern on the sea bed. | Navy divers have been hampered by strong currents and murky waters, but have now located the stern on the sea bed. |
It is the part of ship that contains the sleeping compartments and so is thought to be the most likely location in which survivors might be found. | It is the part of ship that contains the sleeping compartments and so is thought to be the most likely location in which survivors might be found. |
"Divers confirmed the location of the rear part and installed a buoy there," said Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Ki-shik. | |
He told a news conference underwater cameras would be sent down to search for possible trapped survivors. | |
But it is now a race against time, our Seoul correspondent John Sudworth says. | But it is now a race against time, our Seoul correspondent John Sudworth says. |
If any of the 46 missing crew members are still alive, calculations suggest that any oxygen in the trapped air will soon run out. | If any of the 46 missing crew members are still alive, calculations suggest that any oxygen in the trapped air will soon run out. |
Yonhap news agency quoted officials as saying that parts of the ship were able to shut out water for a maximum of 69 hours. | |
President Lee Myung-bak urged rescuers not to give up hope of finding survivors and to investigate all possible causes of the sinking. | |
"Look into the causes of the incident thoroughly and leave no single piece of doubt behind," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying. | |
Yonhap said 24 military vessels, with air support, were involved with the search. A US rescue vessel Salvo, with more than a dozen divers on board, has also joined the operation. | |
Mine theory | |
The 1,200-tonne Cheonan naval patrol vessel sank near the disputed maritime border with North Korea - the Northern Limit Line - but military officials say there is no indication the North was involved. | |
South Korea recognises the line, drawn unilaterally by the US-led United Nations Command to demarcate the sea border at the end of the Korean War. | |
But it has never been accepted by North Korea, and the area has been the scene of deadly clashes between the navies of the two Koreas in the past. | |
Our correspondent says that no unusual military movements were detected on Friday night, however, leading to speculation that the sinking was due to some kind of accident. | |
South Korea Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young said the explosion could have been caused by an old North Korean wartime sea mine which drifted into southern waters. | |
"Though many mines were removed, it must have been impossible to retrieve them all," AFP quoted him as saying. |