87 Sewol Ferry Passengers Confirmed Dead
87 ferry passengers have now been confirmed dead, regarding the capsized Sewol Ferry in South Korea.
215 more still remain missing. South Korean President Park Geun-hye commented, "The actions of the captain and some of the crew are absolutely unacceptable, unforgivable actions that are akin to murder".
The President's harsh statement follows developing details from the weekend, concerning the confusion and disarray of the accident and rescue efforts. A recently released radio transcript reveals that victims weren't able to access lifeboats, due to the vessel's capsized angle.
A portion of the transcript read: "Please notify the coast guard. Our ship is in danger. The ship is rolling right now". When crisis centers instructed victims to wear life jackets, a crew member exclaimed it is: "...hard for people to move".
The arrested ferry captain was told to: "The captain should make (the) decision to make people escape". Prosecutor Lee Bong-chang offered additional details about the arrest: "Mr. Lee is charged with causing the Sewol ship to sink by failing to slow down while sailing the narrow route and making (a) turn excessively".
As of today, a total of seven people have been charged in the ferry catastrophe. No more survivors have been located, since the vessel's capsize last Wednesday.
