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The Sewol ( . Kor 세월 호 ) was a RoPax - ferry , which on 16 April 2014 its way from Incheon to Jeju Island at the height of the island Jindo in the Yellow Sea capsized . 174 of the 476 people on board survived the accident; 187 people were found dead immediately after the accident. 115 were officially missing. In January 2016, 9 people were still missing.
history
The ship was built in 1994 under the name Ferry Naminoue ( Japanese フ ェ リ ー な み の う え , Ferī Naminoue ) as hull number 1006 from the Hayashikane shipyard in Nagasaki for the ferry company Ōshima Un'yu ( English Oshima Transportation ; since 2005: Maru A Ferry, Engl. A-Line Ferry ) built in Kagoshima and delivered to the client on June 21 of that year. In 2007 the ship was transferred without renaming to the A-Line Ferry Company in Kagoshima and operated under the Japanese flag until October 2012. The South Korean Chonghaejin Marine Company in Incheon took over the ferry in 2013 and renamed it Sewol .
By 2013 the ship had 52 cabins and could transport 804 passengers , 90 cars and 60 trucks . A renovation in March 2013 increased the passenger capacity to 960. The Sewol has a sister ship .
Downfall
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The place of the sinking of the Sewol
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The ferry, which was en route from the mainland (Incheon) to the southern holiday island of Jejudo on April 16, 2014 , capsized and sank near the island of Jindo . The journey from Incheon to Jeju was scheduled to take 13½ hours. The scheduled departure time in Incheon at 6:30 p.m. ( UTC + 9 ) had been delayed to about 9 p.m. on the evening of April 15th. Sewol's first emergency call came 12 hours later at 8:58 a.m. on the morning of April 16, at the Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Center ( VTS ). About half an hour later the ferry was about 60 ° heel and another hour and a half later it sank. For a while the foremost part of the hull with the bulbous bow still protruded from the water; then the ferry sank completely.
There were 447 passengers and 29 crew members on board . Passengers included 325 students aged 16 and 17 and 15 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan City . 185 dead could be recovered by April 25th. 174 people were able to save themselves, including 20 crew members with the captain. Some of the passengers jumped into the 12 degree cold water wearing life jackets. The survival time at this water temperature is only a few hours. Many were picked up by approaching boats and the coast guard and helicopters. 117 people were still missing as of April 25, 2014. There were also around 150 vehicles on board. An oil spill spread in front of Jindo on April 19, 2014.
The 68-year-old captain Lee Joon-seok was the actual captain's vacation replacement and apparently left the ship 30 to 40 minutes after it had leaned and was thus able to save himself. He apologized to the relatives of the victims. At the time of the accident, it was not the captain who steered the ship, but the less experienced 26-year-old third officer. On the morning of April 19, Captain Lee and other crew members were arrested. The crew had asked the passengers to return to their cabins after the emergency call was made. Those who were later rescued had resisted this request about half an hour after the ship had tilted. According to South Korean media reports, only one of the 46 life rafts on board the Sewol was apparently lowered into the water due to the ship's lean angle.
Danwon High School assistant principal Kang Min-kyu, 52, committed suicide by hanging after he was rescued on Jindo Island .
169 boats and ships took part in the rescue and security measures on the day of the accident.
On April 18, 2014, three lifting bags were attached to the Sewol's bow to stabilize it so that it would not sink to the bottom. The following day, three floating cranes reached the waters of the accident site.
The rescue measures, including in particular the deployment of rescue divers, were limited to a time window of ± ½ hour around the backwater due to the strong tidal currents and were difficult due to the high turbidity of the water. The depth of the water at the scene of the accident is almost 40 meters.
Conjectures about the cause of the accident
The cause of the accident is not yet clear. It was initially reported that the navigation data showed that the ferry had made two major course changes in quick succession at the time of the accident, the first around ten minutes before the first emergency call at 8:48 a.m. local time at around 80 °, then four minutes later at another about 130 °. A planned change of course was planned for the time of the accident. In this context, there was speculation about the cargo slipping , which could have caused the ship to list relatively quickly. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced on April 21 that once data has been restored to determine the ship's position, it will be assumed that the course changes were not as large as previously assumed; on April 24, however, it was reported that the Sewol's oar system had been defective for several days and that in the event of an accident, a slight course correction had turned into a strong oar-laying . The possibility of a collision with a rock is almost eliminated.
Loading capacity and overcharging
According to an AP report dated May 4, 2014, the Sewol has regularly carried more cargo than permitted in the approval since the conversion. The Korean shipping register , responsible for the loading limits, apparently examined the converted Sewol in spring 2013 and, according to the documents, reduced the permissible load to 987 tons. This information was given to the ship's owner Chonghaejin, but not to the Coast Guard and the Korean Ship Association. Chonghaejin, for its part, reported to the shipping association that it had about four times the capacity of 3963 tons. In the 13 months after the conversion, the ship drove “routinely overloaded”, ie loaded with more than 987 tons, in the majority of the overloading cases with over 2000 tons. Before the sinking, the Sewol is said to have been loaded with over 3,600 tons, more than ever before according to the documents.
According to reports from a Korean news agency, the ship only had about 30% of the ballast water prescribed by the classification society on board on the day of the accident . A captain of the ship who was on leave on the day of the accident stated that he had had concerns about the stability of the ship since the conversion and that he had reported this to the shipping company, but there was no response. The ship capsized and sank following an abrupt change of course.
Salvage
About two weeks after the sinking, 212 inmates were found in the wreck or in the area; 92 people were still missing. About three and seven weeks after the sinking, two divers died during the rescue work. A safety net was laid around the ferry to prevent the bodies not yet recovered from drifting away.
A lifting of the ship itself was announced. Preparations on site began in August 2015. In January 2016, the first phase of recovery was completed with the pumping out of 954 cubic meters of oil-contaminated water and the installation of safety nets on 136 windows and 16 doors.
The lifting of the ship began on June 12, 2016. First the bow was raised with the help of floating cranes and then 18 lifting arms were attached underneath. It was initially hoped to bring the ship back to the surface at the end of July 2016.
On March 23, 2017, the wreck on the port side was lifted and shortly afterwards hoisted onto the semi-submersible Dockwise White Marlin for transport , which brought it to Mokpo. There the wreck was erected and taken to a temporary location by the ALE company, where it remained together with the wrecks of the vehicles on board during the accident (as of April 2020).
Land transport on self-propelled vehicles (SPMT) was handled by the ALE company . 600 axle lines and - including the mud - 17,000 t load are described as two world records for transport by SPMT.
Reactions and consequences
First reactions
Shortly after the accident, the South Korean President and Prime Minister visited the victims and their relatives. The politicians came under public criticism during and after. The South Korean government said on April 19, the city of Ansan and the county Jindo to provide specific financial support for special disaster areas.
On April 20, of the approximately 500 relatives who are housed in a sports hall on Jindo, around 100 went to a protest march in the direction of Seoul . In the capital, 420 kilometers away, they wanted to move to the Blue House and express their outrage. Sayings were chanted, such as: "The government is the murderer". When they tried to leave the island across the Jindo Bridge , 200 police officers forced them to turn back. A two hour sit-in followed .
"The behavior of the captain and some of the crew is incomprehensible to common sense," said South Korean President Park Geun-hye to the Yonhap news agency on April 21, 2014 in front of her staff. It was "like an act of murder ". She announced that the behavior of all parties involved, from the ship owners to the inspectors to the ship's crew, will be investigated and those responsible will be brought to justice.
After the reaction of the South Korean government to the disaster came under massive criticism, Prime Minister Jung Hong-won offered his resignation on April 27, 2014. President Park Geun-hye accepted it, but said he should stay in office until the recovery was completed.
On May 11, the government revoked the ferry company's license for the Incheon - Jeju route on the grounds that there had been massive breaches of safety regulations. The shipping company stated that it would voluntarily return licenses for longer routes.
After the resignation of Prime Minister Jung Hong-won , President Park Geun Hye again apologized for the unsatisfactory course of the rescue and announced the nomination of a successor. Lee Wan-koo took office on February 16, 2015.
Arrests
On April 26, 2014, the last four crew members were also arrested, now all 15 surviving (senior) crew members were detained.
On May 8, 2014, it was reported that the Procuratorate had arrested Kim Han Sik, head of the Chonghaejin Marine Shipping Company. He is suspected to have ordered the overloading of the ferry or at least knew about it.
The owner of the shipping company, 73-year-old Yoo Byung-Eun , went into hiding in May 2014 and apparently sought asylum in France and Canada because of political and religious persecution in vain. On June 12, 2014, the severely decayed body of Yoo Byung-Eun was found in a field in Suncheon, 300 km south of Seoul.
Procedure
On May 15, 2014, the captain and three other crew members were charged with murder; In South Korea there is also a criminal offense of murder by omission. You are accused, among other things, of having left the ship with the first Coast Guard boats, without taking care of the passengers and injured crew members.
On June 10, 2014, the trial of Captain Lee Joon Seok and 14 other defendants began in the Gwangju City Court. In the worst case, he and three of his subordinates could face the death penalty . Relatives demonstrated in front of the courthouse and in the courtroom, whereupon one of the three judges threatened to suspend the proceedings. Only a few lawyers were willing to take on the defense, which is why several public defenders were assigned to the accused. Prosecutor Park Jae Eok called for a "harsh verdict" at the start of the trial, saying that this was an important step on the way to a "safer country".
On October 7, 2014, the chief prosecutor of South Korea announced that they would indict 154 people. The sinking was due to incorrectly secured cargo, an illegal conversion of the ship to increase the transport capacity and gross navigation errors by the crew; the extent of the accident was compounded by an incorrect response by the coast guard. The captain of a coast guard ship and 13 members of the Jindo vessel traffic service were also charged.
On November 11, 2014, the captain and three other crew members were acquitted of allegations of murder. The captain received a 36-year prison sentence. In support of this, the judges said that the captain had violated his duties, which led to the death of people. Its crew members were sentenced to prison terms of 15, 20 and 30 years respectively.
Movies
- 2014: The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol (Orig. 다이빙 벨 Diving Bell ). Documentary by Lee Sang-ho and Ahn Hae-ryong
- 2017: Sewol - The yellow time . Documentary by Minsu Park
- 2017: After the Sewol . Documentary by Matthew Root and Neil P. George
- 2018: In the Absence ( 부재 의 기억 Bujae-ui Gieok ). Documentary by Yi Seung-jun
- 2019: Birthday ( 생일 Saengil ). Feature film by Lee Jong-un
Web links
- Sewol yachtworld.de
- Sewol on maritime-connector.com
- Last AIS position on OpenSeaMap
References and footnotes
- ↑ Ferry Naminoue. Retrieved April 26, 2014 .
- ^ Downfall of the "Sewol": South Korean Prime Minister announces resignation . Spiegel Online from April 27, 2014.
- ^ A b First Phase of S. Korea's Sunken Ferry Salvage Work Finished , China Radio International, January 29, 2016, accessed January 29, 2016.
- ^ Sunken "Sewol": Divers find 48 dead girls in a cabin . Spiegel Online from April 25, 2014.
- ↑ Tagesschau.de ( Memento from April 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ South Korea ferry disaster: Timeline of events , The Straits Times, April 17, 2014
- ^ "Sewol" completely sunk , n-tv.de, April 18, 2014
- ↑ "Our children cry for help in the cold water" , welt.de, April 19, 2014.
- ↑ a b Number of confirmed fatalities after ferry accident rises to 185 . KBS World from April 25, 2014
- ↑ Numbers mistakes cause distrust . The Korea Times, April 20, 2014
- ^ South Korea ferry captain arrested, reports say , cbc.ca, April 18, 2014
- ↑ Oil spill spreads in front of Jindo . KBS World from April 19, 2014
- ↑ Disaster captain left 300 students behind , bild.de, April 17, 2014
- ↑ Captain of the "Sewol": evacuation order for safety reasons later . The daily mirror from April 19, 2014
- ↑ Choe Sang-Hun, Su-Hyun Lee: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/world/asia/pilot-steering-ferry-had-no-experience-in-treacherous-waterway.html . In: The New York Times . April 19, 2014, accessed April 16, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Arrest warrant for captain applied for. (No longer available online.) Tagesschau.de, April 18, 2014, archived from the original on April 18, 2014 ; Retrieved April 19, 2014 .
- ^ Justin McCurry: South Korea ferry captain arrested. theguardian.com, April 18, 2014, accessed April 20, 2014 .
- ↑ Those who followed the instructions of the crew died , Die Welt, April 17, 2014.
- ↑ «This ferry had no lifeboats» , tagesanzeiger.de, April 17, 2014
- ^ South Korea ferry disaster: Crew say they tried to launch lifeboats before abandoning the Sewol , abc.net.au, April 22, 2014
- ↑ Rescued passenger takes their own life on stern.de from April 18, 2014
- ↑ Survivors criticize the late evacuation . Süddeutsche Zeitung from April 17, 2014
- ^ Soldiers Attach Lift Bags to Keep Ferry Afloat ( Memento from April 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). KBS World from April 18, 2014 (English)
- ^ Search and rescue operations for submerged ferry . The Korea Herald of April 20, 2014 (English)
- ↑ Massive marine cranes arrive to aid rescue efforts. JoongAng Daily from April 19, 2014 (English)
- ↑ Rainer Leurs and Jens Witte: Ferry accident in South Korea: The almost impossible mission of the rescue divers. Spiegel online, April 17, 2014, accessed April 17, 2014 .
- ↑ Public prosecutor arrests the captain. (No longer available online.) Tagesschau.de, April 18, 2014, archived from the original on April 19, 2014 ; accessed on April 19, 2014 (see the video).
- ↑ Narae Kim: Over 280 missing after ferry capsizes South Korean. Reuters.com, April 16, 2014, accessed April 17, 2014 .
- ↑ Ferry did not take sharp turn . The Korea Herald of April 22, 2014 (English).
- ↑ More questions arise for cause . The Korea Times of April 22, 2014 (English).
- ↑ Ferry crash off South Korea: the rudder of the "Sewol" is said to have been defective , Spiegel online from April 24, 2014
- ↑ Three more bodies recovered, 61 confirmed dead . The Korea Times, April 21, 2014
- ^ Associated Press: South Korea ferry was routinely overloaded, accessed May 4, 2014
- ↑ "Death toll from sunken ferry rises to 262" Yonhap News Agency, May 5, 2014
- ↑ "Ferry Operator Ignored Complaints about Sewol's Safety", KBS World Radio News from April 21, 2014 ( Memento of 6 May 2014 Internet Archive )
- ↑ orf.at "Sewol" routinely overloaded ORF.at from May 4, 2014
- ↑ Many families are waiting for certainty , n-tv, April 30, 2014.
- ↑ Diver dies during rescue operation off South Korea , Spiegel-Online, May 6, 2014.
- ↑ Second diver dies in "Sewol" mission , Spiegel-Online, May 30, 2014.
- ^ "Sewol": Recovery begins , THB - Deutsche Schiffahrts-Zeitung, August 18, 2015.
- ^ South Korea starts ferry salvage , Global Times, June 13, 2016, p. 9.
- ^ "Sewol" accident ferry is recovered , Süddeutsche Zeitung, March 23, 2017.
- ^ Recovery of the "Sewol" ferry completed , Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, March 26, 2017.
- ↑ esys.org. Retrieved April 9, 2020 .
- ↑ ale-heavylift.com. Retrieved April 9, 2020 .
- ^ Shipwreck: The Wrath of the South Koreans , zeit.de of April 17, 2014
- ↑ Ferry accident: Ansan and Jindo destined for special disaster areas . KBS World from April 21, 2014
- ↑ Gov't considering declaring special disaster zone over ferry sinking . The Korea Times, April 19, 2014
- ↑ "The inclination is too great" , sueddeutsche.de of April 20, 2014
- ↑ Ship accident in South Korea: Despair turns into anger . Spiegel Online from April 20, 2014
- ↑ Divers comb sunken ferry after recovering bodies from inside for first time . Yonhap News Agency as of April 21, 2014
- ↑ Ferry accident in South Korea: Members of the "Sewol" passengers criticize the government . Spiegel Online from April 21, 2014
- ↑ Ferry accident in South Korea: President accuses captain of murder . Deutschlandfunk from April 21, 2014
- ↑ South Korea's Prime Minister resigns due to a ferry failure . FAZ.net , April 27, 2014, accessed April 27, 2014 .
- ^ "" Sewol "shipping company loses its operating license", 'Frankfurter Rundschau Online' from May 12, 2014
- ↑ South Korea's premier resigns after a ferry accident. Zeit Online , April 27, 2014, accessed April 27, 2014 .
- ↑ Shipowner arrested after ferry accident in South Korea , ORF.at dated May 8, 2014
- ↑ english.chosun.com Ferry Owner Sought Asylum in France, Canada Chosun Ilbo from May 26, 2014
- ↑ welt.de The hated millionaire without a face , welt.de from May 23, 2014
- ↑ Ferry accident in South Korea: ship owner dead , ORF.at of July 22, 2014
- ↑ Kim Da-ye: Sewol captain indicted on murder charge. In: The Korea Times. May 15, 2014, accessed March 9, 2020 .
- ↑ Jung Ha-Won: Ferry accident in South Korea: Captain of the "Sewol" faces death penalty. In: RP ONLINE. June 10, 2014, accessed March 9, 2020 : "Prosecutor Park Jae Eok called for a" harsh sentence "to open the trial. That would be an important step on the way to a "safer country". "
- ↑ Hundreds Charged as Ferry Disaster Probe Wraps. In: The Chosunilbo . October 7, 2014, accessed March 9, 2020 .
- ↑ DoX - The documentary in BR (film description). In: br.de. Bayerischer Rundfunk , accessed June 30, 2017 .
- ↑ Last AIS position ( Memento of the original from April 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
