south korea Chaotic scene on ferry is described

Associated Press

MOKPO, South Korea

The captain of a doomed ferry delayed evacuation for half an hour after a South Korean transportation official ordered preparations to abandon ship, raising more questions about whether quick action could have saved scores of passengers still missing today and feared dead, according to a transcript of the ship-to-shore exchange and interviews with a crew member.

The order by an unidentified official at the Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Center to put on life jackets and prepare for evacuation came just five minutes after a Wednesday morning distress call by the Sewol ferry. The ferry, which was bound for Jeju island, replied that “it’s hard for people to move.”

The confirmed death toll from Wednesday’s sinking off southern South Korea was 25, the coast guard said. But 48 hours after the sinking, the number was expected to rise sharply with about 270 people missing, many of them high-school students on a class trip. Officials said there were 179 survivors.

The captain hasn’t spoken publicly about his decision- making, and officials aren’t talking about their investigation, which includes continued talks with the captain. But the new details about communication between the bridge and transportation officials follow a revelation by a crew member in an interview with The Associated Press that the captain’s eventual evacuation order came at least half an hour after the distress signal.

Meanwhile, strong currents and rain hampered rescue attempts as they entered a third day. There was no progress in attempts to enter the ship and look for any survivors, officials said this morning.