The ship was already tilted which made deploying rafts impossible
South Korean ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast. (Photo: AP)
Seoul: Crew members detained over South Korea’s ferry disaster said on Tuesday they had done their best to launch life rafts, and one suggested possible technical reasons for the ship capsizing.
The 6,825-tonne Sewol ferry had 29 crew, including its captain Lee Jeon-Sook.
Twenty of them escaped the ferry as it sank last Wednesday, and there has been public outrage at reports they were among the first to evacuate while hundreds remained trapped in the vessel.
Asked why only one of the Sewol's 46 life rafts had been used, one said conditions had made their deployment impossible.
“We tried to gain access to the rafts but the whole ship was already tilted too much,” he said.
“We tried to launch the life rafts but it was hard to get to where they were,” another said.
The official death toll stood at 110,with 194 still missing.
‘Crew members helped’
Mokpo (S. Korea): As the ferry sank, some crew members gave their life jackets to passengers. One refused to leave until she shepherded students off the ship, and was later found dead. Others worked from rescue boats to break windows with hammers and pull people trapped in cabins to safety.
Nearly a week after the sinking of the ferry, with rising outrage over the death count, the public verdict against the crew of the Sewol has been savage and quick. Some fled the ferry, including the captain, but not all. At least seven of the 29 crew members are missing or dead, and several of those who survived stayed on or near the ship to help passengers, reports said.
( Source : agencies )
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