Flares light up the sky above where Sewol ferry was sunk. [Yonhap Photo]
The historic task of raising the passenger ferry that sank three years ago with the loss of more than 300 lives, most of them schoolchildren, will finally begin in early April after a substantial delay caused by technical and other problems.
Two giant jack-up barges and support vessels are on standby in waters off the southwestern island of Jindo for their work to lift the 6,825-tonne Sewol ferry probably on April 5 if the sea weather allows, the maritime ministry said. The ferry sank in April 2014. A total of 295 bodies were recovered, but nine remained unaccounted for.
Without cutting its body, the 145-meter-long vessel will be raised. Divers have closed all openings of the ship to inject air into tanks inside and install large airbags and other devices. It will be the world's first case under which such a large vessel will be elevated without splitting its body.
Along with a substantial technical challenge, work has been hampered by a tough environment such as strong currents and limited working hours because the Sewol lies 45 meters down on the seabed.
The task has been led by China's state-run Shanghai Salvage Co. with a history of receiving good marks for its experience in salvaging sunken vessels. The company has used a frame built with metal beams on the sea floor instead of drilling holes into its side.
The overloaded Sewol was carrying 476 people, including 325 students from a high school in Ansan, when it sank. Only 75 students survived. At initial salvage operations, strong currents and muddy waters at the site of the sunken vessel left two divers dead and dozens injured.
The disaster -- blamed on the ship's illegal redesign and overloading left unchecked by regulators -- has been the subject of debate over the absence of ousted president Park Geun-hye for seven hours.
Park was impeached by parliament partly for neglecting her duty to supervise a rescue operation during the disaster. Government officials and coastguard authorities were criticized for failing to take quick steps. A court upheld Park's impeachment, although it could not make any conclusion due to insufficient evidence.
Park admitted she came late because she was tied up with personal affairs. She allegedly brought in a hairdresser from outside to have her hair done while reading written briefings. Occasionally, she received beauty shots and unauthorized injections, but she did not say exactly what she was doing for seven hours.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
