Grief, anger sear sailor search
Source: Agencies |
March 29, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
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WEEPING, angry relatives of 46 crew members missing after a mysterious explosion sank a South Korean navy ship sailed around the site yesterday as rescue teams struggled to search for survivors.
None has been found since an initial rescue of 58 sailors from the 1,200-ton Cheonan that sank early Saturday near the tense border with North Korea. No bodies have been discovered either. Still, President Lee Myung-bak refused to give up hope.
The ship had been on a routine patrol with other vessels in the Yellow Sea off South Korea's west coast. The exact cause of the explosion - one of South Korea's worst naval disasters - remained unclear and officials said it could take weeks to determine.
Fierce waves and high winds have hampered the search in an area where the two Koreas have fought three bloody naval engagements since 1999. Despite the location of the sinking, North Korea did not appear to be involved.
"We have detected 'no special movements' by North Korean forces; however, we, as a command, continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for any contingency," General Walter Sharp, chief of the 28,500 US troops in South Korea, said in a statement yesterday.
South Korean troops were maintaining "solid military readiness," the Defense Ministry said. It said a US military ship would join rescue operations today.
The Cheonan sank about 1.6 kilometers from Baengnyeong Island, which is about 16 kilometers from North Korea. The Koreas remain in a state of war because their three-year conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, in 1953.
The explosion tore open the rear hull of the Cheonan, shut down its engine, wiped out power and caused the ship to sink a little over three hours later. The ship broke into two pieces, officials said.
Military and coast guard ships, helicopters and divers searched the chilly waters yesterday but made little headway due to poor underwater visibility and strong currents.
Rescue ships retrieved about 20 life jackets and 15 safety helmets in waters 11-29 kilometers away from the site, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Lee ordered officials to "thoroughly investigate" the sinking and make their best efforts to rescue any survivors.
As hopes faded for the missing crew, about 80 family members aboard a navy patrol boat sailed around the site and watched rescue operations.
"My son! My son!" one crying woman shouted while boarding the ship at a naval base south of Seoul for the journey to the accident area as other relatives wailed in grief.
Some families also vented anger at the military, accusing authorities of a cover-up and saying survivors told them the Cheonan was leaky and in need of repair.
They shouted "Liars!" and jumped on a car carrying the rescued ship captain as it drove away.
None has been found since an initial rescue of 58 sailors from the 1,200-ton Cheonan that sank early Saturday near the tense border with North Korea. No bodies have been discovered either. Still, President Lee Myung-bak refused to give up hope.
The ship had been on a routine patrol with other vessels in the Yellow Sea off South Korea's west coast. The exact cause of the explosion - one of South Korea's worst naval disasters - remained unclear and officials said it could take weeks to determine.
Fierce waves and high winds have hampered the search in an area where the two Koreas have fought three bloody naval engagements since 1999. Despite the location of the sinking, North Korea did not appear to be involved.
"We have detected 'no special movements' by North Korean forces; however, we, as a command, continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for any contingency," General Walter Sharp, chief of the 28,500 US troops in South Korea, said in a statement yesterday.
South Korean troops were maintaining "solid military readiness," the Defense Ministry said. It said a US military ship would join rescue operations today.
The Cheonan sank about 1.6 kilometers from Baengnyeong Island, which is about 16 kilometers from North Korea. The Koreas remain in a state of war because their three-year conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, in 1953.
The explosion tore open the rear hull of the Cheonan, shut down its engine, wiped out power and caused the ship to sink a little over three hours later. The ship broke into two pieces, officials said.
Military and coast guard ships, helicopters and divers searched the chilly waters yesterday but made little headway due to poor underwater visibility and strong currents.
Rescue ships retrieved about 20 life jackets and 15 safety helmets in waters 11-29 kilometers away from the site, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Lee ordered officials to "thoroughly investigate" the sinking and make their best efforts to rescue any survivors.
As hopes faded for the missing crew, about 80 family members aboard a navy patrol boat sailed around the site and watched rescue operations.
"My son! My son!" one crying woman shouted while boarding the ship at a naval base south of Seoul for the journey to the accident area as other relatives wailed in grief.
Some families also vented anger at the military, accusing authorities of a cover-up and saying survivors told them the Cheonan was leaky and in need of repair.
They shouted "Liars!" and jumped on a car carrying the rescued ship captain as it drove away.
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