Secondary Students from Danwon High School were
expecting a fun, relaxing, and educational field trip as climate has been
starting to warm up in South Korea. The kids were all excited about their trip
to Jeju Island. Little did they know that they were in for one big surprise; a
bad one though. One of the biggest and most controversial ship accidents every in South Korea.
Wrong Turn to Death
M/V Sewol, a Korean ferry that regularly sails from
Incheon to Jeju Island started sailing towards the kids’ destination. Just 25
kilometers after, the vessel made a sharp turn to the left. While conditions
were calm, passengers reported that they felt the vessel has tilted. At that
time, the captain was in his private cabin while the crew’s third mate was in
control. After attempts to re-balance the ship failed, the crew made contact
with the Jeju Vessel Traffic Service to notify the coast guard that the ship
was in danger as it was rolling. One passenger’s parent however, reported to
the Coast Guard that the ship was about to capsize and asked for rescue. The
captain asked the passengers to stay in their cabins. Not long after, the ship
has in the later stages of capsizing, making the evacuation of the passengers
impossible.
A Fun Trip Turned Tragic
Two and a half hours later, the ship sank. A few
days after, around 64 people have died, while 238 others are still missing,
presumed dead. The tragedy got the whole country abuzz in anger. This is one of
the worst maritime accidents in
Korea. While the number of people who died were not too many, the manner of
which the accident happened have got the authorities overwhelmed. While rescue
came quickly, the captain’s decision has jeopardized the evacuation and was
indeed liable for the death of the passengers. Now the authorities have
arrested the captain and the ship’s crew members who reportedly fled the ship
as it was sinking, leaving the passengers to fight for their lives.
Travelling by sea is rather safe. In fact here in
California, there are only isolated cases of sea mishaps that have been recorded in the last few years. The
tragic voyage of M/V Sewol serves as a rude awakening not just for the Koreans
but every country in the world. While the parents of the children can file wrongful death cases against the
shipping company and its’ crewmembers, the lives and bright futures of the
children lost will never be brought back. A California ship accident
attorney believes that this tragedy gives bitter and painful
lessons not just for Korean authorities but the entire maritime industry across
the globe. He is hoping that measures should be taken and that responsible
people are held liable for their negligence
and inaction.
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