[Ferry Disaster] Anger surges over crew, state response

An onboard announcement telling passengers to stay inside the ferry Sewol as it sank off the coast of Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, appears to have reduced passengers’ chances of survival.

Video clips taken by the survivors show that an onboard announcement repeatedly told passengers to stay inside, despite the vessel continuing to tilt.

“Go inside and wait, as the cabin is safer,” a ferry crew member is heard saying in one video clip taken by a passenger.

However, the clip also shows that the ship had already tilted significantly, making it hard for people to stand.

The clip also contains a shot of a passenger saying that students were still inside.

Survivors have given similar accounts.

“While a lot of people were in the corridors, announcements to go back into the cabins continued to be made,” a survivor identified by the surname Jung told local media.

“If the announcement to leave the cabins was made earlier, more people would have been able to reach safety.”

As the ship sank rapidly, the ship’s crew instructed the passengers to abandon ship. According to those rescued from the ferry, power was cut off as people were evacuating the cabins, hampering their progress.

Survivors have also told the authorities that a large number of people remained inside as they left the sinking ferry.

The revelations are further angering the already distraught parents of the students on the ferry.

The families’ anger has also been directed at the government, which they accused of failing to conduct timely rescue operations.

In the early hours of Thursday Prime Minister Chung Hong-won bore the brunt of their anger as he visited a gymnasium on Jindo Island where survivors and families were staying.

Parents of the students onboard the ferry shouted, threw objects and pulled the prime minister’s clothes.

One parent shouted, “What is the use of the prime minister being here?”

Another parent shouted, “There is news that students are still alive in the ferry,” berating the authorities for not conducting searches.

Chung apologized repeatedly and tried to leave the gymnasium as tension escalated, but dozens of parents blocked his way and surrounded him. Some family members threw water bottles and empty cans at him.

Chung made the visit to the gymnasium just hours after returning from overseas tours to China and Pakistan.

On Wednesday, parents also clashed with Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, accusing the school of overlooking the safety of the students. Students and teachers from the school account for more than 330 of the 475 people who were aboard the Sewol.

One parent stormed into the school office saying, “Students are more important than money. You should not have sent off the children if the weather was unfit (for the trip).” Another parent was carried off by an ambulance, after collapsing in tears.

By Choi He-suk and Suh Ye-seul  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com) (sys@heraldcorp.com)