Sewol ferry set upright for further search of victims

The Sewol ferry at the southwestern port of Mokpo was moved from its side to an upright position Thursday to facilitate the search for the remains of victims still missing.

The Sewol Investigation Commission and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, which took on the task, announced they completed making the 6,825-ton ferry stand at 94.5 degrees at 12:10 p.m. It took 190 minutes for the 10,000-ton crane used for the mission to set the ferry upright.

After the ferry reached the target angle on Thursday, those at the scene observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

The ferry was hauled to the ground in March last year. It has taken four years to set the ferry upright since the tragic accident on April 16, 2014. The ferry sank off the country’s southwestern coast near Jindo as it was heading to Jeju Island from Incheon. The disaster claimed 304 lives, mostly high school students on a school trip.

The commission said it will install safety measures in the upcoming weeks before starting an investigation early next month to look inside the ferry to investigate the cause of the sinking and to further search for the remains of the five victims who are still missing.

According to the commission, the investigation will focus mainly on the fourth floor of the ferry’s portside and the engine room, as the areas were not accessible during the previous underwater investigations.

“The erecting process was necessary for a thorough search. As we have completed our mission today, we will try to solve all the mysteries surrounding the ferry incident,” said Kim Chang-jun, the commission chief. 

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)