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South Korea ferry disaster: Captain and crew charged with manslaughter over disaster that killed nearly 300 passengers South Korea ferry disaster: Captain and crew charged with manslaughter over disaster that killed nearly 300 passengers
(about 2 hours later)
The captain and three senior crew members of a South Korean ferry that capsized in April, killing more than 280 passengers, many of them school children, have been charged with manslaughter, a senior prosecutor said. The captain of the sunken South Korean ferry has been charged with manslaughter following the disaster that has left more than 300 people either missing or dead.
Prosecutors also indicted the 11 other surviving crew members of the ferry Sewol on negligence charges. The crew has been under criminal investigation after they were believed to have escaped the sinking vessel before many passengers. The Sewol’s chief engineer, first officer and second officer have also been indicted on the grounds of gross negligence, prosecutors said. If convicted the four men face life imprisonment.
“The captain, a first officer and second officer and the chief engineer escaped before the passengers, leading to grave casualties,” prosecutor Ahn Sang-don, who is leading the investigation, told a news briefing. Captain Lee Joon-seok was one of the first people to escape from the sinking ship when rescue boats arrived. He also took around half an hour to issue an evacuation order, and there is some doubt as to whether his message ever got through to passengers.
Ahn said the Sewol was severely compromised in its ability to maintain stability after a remodelling to add capacity, and had set sail on April 16 massively overloaded and with insufficient water in the ballast tanks used to keep it steady. Of 476 passengers and crew on board the ship, just 172 were rescued – including 22 of the 29 crew members. Prosecutors have also indicted another 11 of them on less severe charges of negligence.
Strong currents in the disaster zone made the vessel less responsive to navigation and prompted the crew to make a turn of 15 degrees, sharper than advisable, which led the ferry to list rapidly and then sink, he said. A month after the disaster, 281 bodies have been recovered but 23 people remain missing, with the deteriorating condition of the vessel making the ongoing recovery effort increasingly difficult.
“The captain should have been in command of the navigation, but left that to a third officer, and that is gross negligence,” Ahn said, adding there was enough evidence to support a charge of willful negligence on the part of the captain and three other officers. When it set sail on 16 April, the Sewol’s stability was severely compromised following a recent remodelling to add capacity, prosecutors said. When it sank it was also heavily overloaded and did not have enough water in its ballast tanks to keep it steady.
“The charge of homicide was applied because they did not exercise their duty of aid and relief, leading to the deaths of passengers,” he said, adding that some crew had confessed “they were thinking about their own lives.” Investigators say strong currents in the disaster zone made the vessel less responsive to navigation and prompted the crew to make a turn of 15 degrees, sharper than would be advisable, which led the ferry to list rapidly and then sink.
The Sewol was on a routine journey from the mainland port of Incheon to the southern holiday island of Jeju. Prosecutor Ahn Sang-don said: “The captain should have been in command of the navigation, but left that to a third officer, and that is gross negligence,” adding there was enough evidence to support a charge of wilful negligence on the part of the captain and three other officers.
Of the 476 passengers and crew on board, 339 were children and their teachers on a school trip. Only 172 people were rescued, with the rest presumed to have drowned. A girl reads massages written on paper ships for the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol at a group memorial altar in Seoul, South Korea “The charge of homicide was applied because they did not exercise their duty of aid and relief, leading to the deaths of passengers,” he said. Ahn also revealed that some crew had confessed that “they were thinking about their own lives”.
A girl reads massages written on paper ships for the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol at a group memorial altar in Seoul, South Korea A month after the disaster, 281 bodies have been recovered but 23 people remain missing, even as rescue divers continue to search the vessel. The Sewol was on a routine journey from the mainland port of Incheon to the southern holiday island of Jeju when it sank, and included in its passengers 339 students and teachers on a single school trip.
Some of the crew, including the captain, were caught on videotape abandoning ship while the children were repeatedly told to stay put in their cabins and await further orders.
The government of President Park Geun-hye has faced sharp criticism for its handling of the disaster and the rescue effort, with an outpouring of anger over suggestions that a more effective initial response could have saved many more.The government of President Park Geun-hye has faced sharp criticism for its handling of the disaster and the rescue effort, with an outpouring of anger over suggestions that a more effective initial response could have saved many more.
Only 172 people were rescued from the ferry Prosecutors are seeking the arrest of members of the family that owns the ferry operator, and may also seek the extradition of a son of the reclusive head of the family from the United States, an official said on Thursday. Only 172 people were rescued from the ferry Authorities have also said they fear that the owner of the ferry’s operating company, Chonhaejin Marine, may attempt to flee the country.
Prosecutors are also investigating officials of shipping inspection agencies and the operator of the ferry. The crew members' first court date has yet to be set. Yoo Byung-aeon is due to appear for questioning on Friday but has gone into hiding with his four children, who also have positions in the company.
Reuters A prosecution spokesperson told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper: “We are not talking about a petty criminal, but a man who is the son of a religious leader, a renowned artist and a major shareholder in multiple businesses. He just fled immediately after being summoned for questioning.”
Prosecutors also said they were investigating officials of a number of shipping inspection agencies. They said the crew members’ first court dates have yet to be finalised.