Intensive search and rescue efforts for a missing South Korean cargo ship and its crew have come to an end more than a month after they sank in the South Atlantic, a government official said Thursday.
The Stella Daisy carrying iron ore with 24 crew members including eight South Koreans on board went missing in waters near Uruguay after sending a distress call saying the ship was sinking on March 31. Two of the Philippine crew members were later found alive.
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Stellar Daisy, a South Korean cargo ship that likely sank in the South Atlantic (Yonhap) |
South Korea had worked together with other countries near the accident site by mobilizing military ships and aircraft to find the 266,000-ton cargo ship and the missing crew.
With no additional sailors found since, the intensive search and rescue operation involving aircraft, military ships and satellite imagery analysis came to an end on Tuesday. The decision was made by Uruguay, the country in charge of the operation.
"Under the relevant international treaty, it is possible for a country in charge -- Uruguay in this case -- to stop search and rescue if there is no reasonable hope of finding additional survivors," the official said.
He said that the decision means that the intensive operation that had been underway ended, but ordinary search and rescue efforts by passing ships along with analysis of satellite images of the area will continue.
Families of the missing crew members are demanding the search and rescue operation be continued and bring additional high-tech equipment including sonar to the accident area to help spot their loved ones. (Yonhap)
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