Tag: ship sinking
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Shipwreck on the Yangtze River Likely the Worst in Chinese History
The shipwreck on the Yangtze River is as bad as initially feared. At this point, four days after the Eastern Star sank on a stretch of the river that winds through the Hubei province after encountering severe weather, it is all but impossible that more survivors will be found. Of the 456 passengers who were on board the Eastern Star, which has also been translated as the “Oriental Star,” only 14 survived, the same number we reported the day after the shipwreck occurred. Read more […] -
Hundreds Missing after Shipwreck on Yangtze River in China
A cruise ship sailing down the Yangtze River from Nanjing to Chongqing capsized Monday night after encountering a violent storm consisting of heavy rain, high winds, and potentially a tornado. The Eastern Star or Oriental Star, depending on how the ship’s name is translated, was carrying 456 passengers, and now, approximately 43 hours after the vessel first flipped, there are only 14 known survivors. Seven passengers have been confirmed dead, leaving 437 people unaccounted for, most of whom are senior citizens. Read more […] -
Captain of Sewol, the Sunken South Korean Ferry, Charged with Murder and Faces Death Penalty
Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the South Korean Ferry Sewol that sank last month, has been charged with murder and if convicted could face the death penalty. Three other crew members – the chief engineer, Park Gi-ho, and his first and second mates, Kang Won-sik and Kim Young-ho – have also been charged with murder and likewise face the death penalty under South Korean law. Given that the death penalty has not been imposed in South Korea in nearly 20 years, it is unclear how likely it is that the captain and three crew members will be executed by the state. However, the sinking of the Sewol resulted in a particularly high death toll, with well over half of the ship’s passengers perishing as a result of the ship disaster. Nearly 300 passengers have been confirmed dead, and another 20 are still missing, presumed dead long ago. Most of the passengers on board were high school students on a field trip. Read more […] -
South Korean Ship Disaster: Prime Minister of South Korea Resigns, Crew Members Arrested, and Death Toll Rises
The sinking of the Sewol, the South Korean ship that was filled with hundreds of high school students, has already faded from the headlines. However, a tragedy as great as the Sewol’s sinking can’t be so easily forgotten, and recent news – especially the resignation of Chung Hong-won, the Prime Minister of South Korea – has thrust the ferry disaster into public view once more. Below are the latest updates regarding the South Korean ship disaster, including information about the resignation of South Korean’s Prime Minister, the arrest of every crew member who was responsible for navigating the ship, and the ever-rising death toll. Read more […] -
Arrest Warrant Issued for Captain of Sewol, the South Korean Ferry
As rescue workers continue their desperate search for any survivors on the Sewol, a South Korean ship filled with high school students that sunk two days ago, an arrest warrant has been issued for the ferry’s captain, Lee Joon Suk (also rendered in English as “Lee Jun-seok”). In addition to the captain of the doomed ferry, South Korean prosecutors are also seeking to arrest the third mate of the ship and another crew member. Prosecutors allege that the third mate, and not the captain, was at the helm of the ship when the accident occurred. The three crew members are being charged with abandoning the ship and its passengers as the ferry was quickly flooded with water. The captain of the ferry has been on the hot seat essentially since the moment the ship started to sink, with early reports indicating that he would likely be charged with accidental manslaughter and negligence. Read more […] -
South Korean Ship Sinking: More Deaths Confirmed, Survivor Hangs Himself, and Other Grim Updates
The news surrounding the Sewol, the South Korean ship filled with high school students that sank on Wednesday for reasons that still aren’t clear, has only become worse. We reported yesterday that the death toll of the shipwreck was almost certain to rise, and unfortunately it has. Twenty eight people, including five students and two teachers, are now confirmed dead, and the prospect of finding any of the missing 270 passengers alive has become increasingly doubtful. One part of the Sewol’s hull remained above water for two days after the shipwreck, meaning at least one section of the ship was not yet flooded, but now the vessel is entirely submerged in the icy waters off the coast of South Korea. Adding another dimension of horror to the tragic shipwreck, one of the survivors committed suicide by hanging himself with a belt from a tree in Jindo, where relatives of missing passengers are staying. He was the vice principal of Ansan Danwon High School, which over 300 passengers on the doomed ferry attended. Read more […]
