Experts start survey in ferry salvage bid
Print Edition
SALVAGE experts from China and South Korea yesterday began an underwater survey of the sunken Sewol ferry — the first step in the long, complex process of raising the 6,825-ton vessel to the surface.
The passenger ship sank off the southwest coast of South Korea in April last year with the loss of more than 300 lives, most of them children on a school trip.
Nine remain unaccounted for in the accident and the families of those still missing had led a campaign for the ferry to be brought to the surface.
South Korean officials announced last month that a consortium led by state-run Shanghai Salvage had won the bid for the operation.
A tugboat and a Chinese barge with a giant crane arrived several days ago at the site where the Sewol lies on the seabed 40 meters below.
Divers made exploratory dives yesterday as an unmanned submersible was being prepared for launch from the barge, anchored some 20 kilometers off the southern island of Jindo, an official from the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries told reporters.
Nearly 150 people, including divers and technicians, are involved in the initial stage, which will involve taking extensive pictures of the vessel over the next two months, the official said.
There are also plans to place a net around the Sewol to prevent any bodies still trapped inside from being lost in the salvage process.
Preparations will be halted in November for the winter, and the salvage operation proper will begin in March next year with a view to bringing the ship to the surface before July.
The recovery is expected to cost around 85 billion won (US$72 million) and some have questioned whether the expense is merited, given the slim chance of finding any more bodies or uncovering any fresh evidence.
South Korean divers recovered 295 bodies before abandoning their search last November.
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