Update 5: Death Toll in the Sewol Tragedy Reaches 113

Death toll in the ferry Sewol tragedy, one of South Korea’s deadliest maritime accidents, has reached 113 with nearly 190 people still missing, presumed dead.

yonhap

Only 174 passengers were rescued after Wednesday’s fatal accident when the 6,325-ton ferry Sewol turned over and sank within two hours. The ferry was carrying around 475 people, including 325 students from a high school in Ansan, just south of Seoul, when it sent out a distress signal on April 16th at 8:58 a.m. in waters 20 kilometers off the island of Byeongpoong.

Divers so far have reached many of the ship’s cabins but are still trying to enter into the restaurant where many of the passengers were believed to be trapped.

Yonhap cited the Korean government task force team handling the disaster saying that rescue workers will continue to search around-the-clock as weather conditions have improved, by mobilizing a total of 212 boats, 34 aircraft and 550 rescue workers.

Rescuers will continue with the search, while the operation to bring the ship’s hull to service by large floating cranes is scheduled to start in two days.