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| Divers Begin Bringing Bodies Out of Capsized Ferry | Divers Begin Bringing Bodies Out of Capsized Ferry |
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| JINDO, South Korea — After days of rescue efforts stymied by strong currents and poor visibility, divers made their way into a capsized South Korean ferry on Sunday and began bringing out bodies, starting what officials said would probably be weeks of grim recovery operations. | JINDO, South Korea — After days of rescue efforts stymied by strong currents and poor visibility, divers made their way into a capsized South Korean ferry on Sunday and began bringing out bodies, starting what officials said would probably be weeks of grim recovery operations. |
| As of Sunday afternoon, they had recovered 13 bodies from inside the overturned and sunken ship, including three pulled out through a broken window late Saturday. Another two bodies were found by Sunday evening. Officials believe that many of the 242 people still missing since the vessel went down on Wednesday morning, a majority of them high-school students on a field trip, were trapped inside in one of South Korea’s worst peacetime disasters. The official death toll rose on Sunday to 58. | |
| Of the 476 people who were on board, all of the 174 known to have survived were found in the hours immediately after the ship sank. | Of the 476 people who were on board, all of the 174 known to have survived were found in the hours immediately after the ship sank. |
| During a briefing on this island near the site of the sinking, Ko Myong-seok, a senior Coast Guard official, said that by Sunday, divers had used ropes and luminous sticks to establish different routes into the ship. But so far, they had found no survivors, with hopes dwindling that some of the missing might still be alive inside air pockets under the ship. | During a briefing on this island near the site of the sinking, Ko Myong-seok, a senior Coast Guard official, said that by Sunday, divers had used ropes and luminous sticks to establish different routes into the ship. But so far, they had found no survivors, with hopes dwindling that some of the missing might still be alive inside air pockets under the ship. |
| The ship was sailing from Incheon, a port west of Seoul, bound for the southern island of Jeju, when it suddenly tilted and sank off the southwestern tip of South Korea. | The ship was sailing from Incheon, a port west of Seoul, bound for the southern island of Jeju, when it suddenly tilted and sank off the southwestern tip of South Korea. |
| Investigators said a 26-year-old third mate was navigating the ferry through a notoriously treacherous waterway for the first time when the accident occurred. | Investigators said a 26-year-old third mate was navigating the ferry through a notoriously treacherous waterway for the first time when the accident occurred. |
| Questions about the qualifications of the third mate, Park Han-gyeol, mounted on Saturday after investigators revealed that the ship’s captain, Lee Jun-seok, 69, was in his quarters on a break, leaving Ms. Park in charge of the bridge, giving instructions to a helmsman at the wheel, when the ferry was negotiating the waterway 11 miles from Jindo Island. | Questions about the qualifications of the third mate, Park Han-gyeol, mounted on Saturday after investigators revealed that the ship’s captain, Lee Jun-seok, 69, was in his quarters on a break, leaving Ms. Park in charge of the bridge, giving instructions to a helmsman at the wheel, when the ferry was negotiating the waterway 11 miles from Jindo Island. |
| For ages, the 3.7-mile-long, 2.8-mile-wide Maenggol Waterway has provided a shortcut for ships that try to save fuel or time navigating waters dotted with islets off the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. But the channel also has a reputation for having one of the most rapid and unpredictable currents around the peninsula. | For ages, the 3.7-mile-long, 2.8-mile-wide Maenggol Waterway has provided a shortcut for ships that try to save fuel or time navigating waters dotted with islets off the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. But the channel also has a reputation for having one of the most rapid and unpredictable currents around the peninsula. |
| “It was her first time commanding the steering of the ship through the Maenggol Waterway,” said Yang Joong-jin, a senior prosecutor who is part of the government’s investigation. “There is nothing legally wrong with that. But it does give us important data on how well qualified she was.” | “It was her first time commanding the steering of the ship through the Maenggol Waterway,” said Yang Joong-jin, a senior prosecutor who is part of the government’s investigation. “There is nothing legally wrong with that. But it does give us important data on how well qualified she was.” |
| Ms. Park ended up in command of the ship by chance. | Ms. Park ended up in command of the ship by chance. |
| The three regular mates on the 6,825-ton car ferry, the Sewol, worked on a fixed rotation of four-hour shifts, with Ms. Park on duty at the bridge from 8 a.m. to noon. The ship had been scheduled to leave Incheon at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with 476 people on board, including 325 second-year high school students headed for a field trip on Jeju. Ms. Park had been working aboard the ferry on the Incheon-Jeju route for six months. | The three regular mates on the 6,825-ton car ferry, the Sewol, worked on a fixed rotation of four-hour shifts, with Ms. Park on duty at the bridge from 8 a.m. to noon. The ship had been scheduled to leave Incheon at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with 476 people on board, including 325 second-year high school students headed for a field trip on Jeju. Ms. Park had been working aboard the ferry on the Incheon-Jeju route for six months. |
| But the ship’s departure was delayed by two and a half hours because of heavy fog. Had it left on time, the ship would have passed the spot where it foundered and sank one and a half hours before Ms. Park’s shift was to have started. | But the ship’s departure was delayed by two and a half hours because of heavy fog. Had it left on time, the ship would have passed the spot where it foundered and sank one and a half hours before Ms. Park’s shift was to have started. |
| Ms. Park was unavailable for comment. She was arrested Saturday, along with the captain and the helmsman. They face criminal charges of abandoning their ship and passengers during a crisis, accidental homicide, or both. On Friday, the 55-year-old helmsman said the ship was attempting a usual turn on the shipping route when it swerved more rapidly than expected. | Ms. Park was unavailable for comment. She was arrested Saturday, along with the captain and the helmsman. They face criminal charges of abandoning their ship and passengers during a crisis, accidental homicide, or both. On Friday, the 55-year-old helmsman said the ship was attempting a usual turn on the shipping route when it swerved more rapidly than expected. |
| The factors that led to Ms. Park’s being in charge while the ferry plied the Maenggol Waterway may provide another piece of the puzzle investigators are putting together. Ever since the ship capsized, investigators have worked to unravel the mysteries surrounding the disaster, especially the question of why the ship suddenly tilted as it passed a curve in the shipping lane. | The factors that led to Ms. Park’s being in charge while the ferry plied the Maenggol Waterway may provide another piece of the puzzle investigators are putting together. Ever since the ship capsized, investigators have worked to unravel the mysteries surrounding the disaster, especially the question of why the ship suddenly tilted as it passed a curve in the shipping lane. |
| On Saturday, navy divers struggled to enter the ship for a fourth straight day. Many of the survivors have said a large number of passengers were probably trapped inside, partly because they had been advised by the ship’s crew to stay put even while the ship was tilting dangerously. | On Saturday, navy divers struggled to enter the ship for a fourth straight day. Many of the survivors have said a large number of passengers were probably trapped inside, partly because they had been advised by the ship’s crew to stay put even while the ship was tilting dangerously. |
| “The chances of anyone surviving in there depend on many factors, such as the water temperature and individual conditions,” said Ko Myong-seok, a senior Coast Guard officer involved in rescue operations. | “The chances of anyone surviving in there depend on many factors, such as the water temperature and individual conditions,” said Ko Myong-seok, a senior Coast Guard officer involved in rescue operations. |