South Korean rescue team members search for missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry, in the water off the southern coast as flares illuminate the scene near Jindo, South Korea, on Sunday, April 20, 2014.JINDO, South Korea – Divers continued the grim work of recovering bodies from inside a sunken South Korean ferry Monday, securing a new entryway into the wreck, as a newly released transcript showed the ship was crippled by confusion and indecision well after it began listing. The transcript suggests that the chaos may have added to a death toll that could eventually exceed 300.
Many people followed the captain’s initial order to stay below deck, where it is feared they remain trapped. Sixty-four bodies have been recovered, and about 240 people are still missing. The ferry sank with 476 people on board, many of them students from a single high school.
After days of frustration because of strong currents, divers have now found several ways into the submerged ferry. That includes a new entryway, into the dining hall, made early Monday morning, Koh Myung-seok, a government spokesman, said. With divers increasingly making their way into the ship, there’s been a big jump in the discovery of corpses.
As the divers worked Monday, relatives huddled around signboards listing descriptions of a half dozen as-yet-unidentified bodies that were pulled out of the vessel overnight.
The bodies found early Monday were presumed to be students. Details provided a glimpse into their youthful lives. Many were fond of hoodies and track pants. One girl had red manicured fingernails and black toenail polish. Another wore braces.