Tragedy :Scores Missing as South Korean Ferry Carrying 477 Sinks

 

 A massive rescue effort in freezing water manages to pull about 180 passengers to safety, but two fatalities are reported and 295 people remain unaccounted for

Two people have died and 295 people are still unaccounted for, after a ferry carrying 477 passengers began sinking off the southern coast of South Korea on Wednesday morning.
A massive rescue operation, including at least 18 helicopters, 34 vessels and special-operations divers, has been working on the scene for over five hours, after a distress signal was picked up at 9 a.m. local time. More than 290 people remain missing — a far cry from earlier estimates, when the government announced that 368 people had been rescued. It later acknowledged that there had been an error in tallying up the numbers.

The majority of the passengers were students on their way from Incheon to the resort island of Jeju together with their teachers. An official at the Danwon High School in a suburb to Seoul said all of its 338 students and teachers had been rescued, but that number could not be confirmed by authorities. Other reports claim that one of the two casualties was a high school student, the other a 27-year-old crew member.
Officials say some passengers could have been rescued by private fishing boats, but fears are growing that scores of people could have been trapped as the ship began listing sharply and capsized within two hours. The sea is a freezing 12.6ºC and potentially fatal after more than a few hours’ immersion.
A U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship equipped with two helicopters is currently moving to the scene to assist in the effort.
It is not yet clear what caused the incident, but testimonies suggest it may have hit a rock or another vessel.
“There was a bang, and then the ship suddenly tilted over,” a survivor identified by his surname Yoo told Yonhap News Agency. “Downstairs were restaurants, shops and entertainment rooms, and those who were there are feared to have failed to escape.”

The South Korean government has announced that all efforts now are focused on the rescue mission — determining the cause is a secondary priority