No progress made in search for missing in ferry disaster

Divers made no headway in their search for those still missing in April's deadly ferry sinking for a 10th day on Wednesday amid growing concerns that the upcoming rainy season could further hamper the Herculean job.

Dozens of Navy, Coast Guard and civilian divers combed the sunken ship to find 12 people still unaccounted for 64 days after the boat sank off the country's southwestern coast, but in vain.

With no bodies being recovered for the 10th straight day on Wednesday, the discovery of one body on June 8 brought the total number of confirmed dead to 292.

Fears have further grown over the tardy operations as the rainy season is forecast to begin later this week in the shipwreck region.

"Families of the missing people are anxious that the rainy spell and the subsequent strong underwater currents would dampen recovery efforts," said a lawyer for the families, urging the government to "launch active operations with detailed plans to find their loved ones."

The state response team, in the meantime, filmed the inside of the submerged hull, and allowed the families to see the scenes to have them learn how the search job has been conducted.

The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol was en route from the country's western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju when it sank on April 16. Of the 476 people aboard, only 272 people were rescued. (Yonhap)