Mokpo: South Korean coast guard officials launched an investigation Thursday into the late-night stranding of a ferry, arresting its first mate and an Indonesian crew member on suspicion of gross negligence. Coast guard officials said the two suspects were at the helm and suspected of waiting too long to cancel the autopilot system, causing the vessel to crash into a deserted island in a busy shipping lane near the southwestern port of Mokpo.
According to Thai News Agency, the 26,546-ton ship had a capacity of 1,010 passengers and multiple decks for cargo and passenger vehicles. It ran aground while en route to Mokpo from the southern island of Jeju, but remained upright, allowing all 267 passengers on board to be safely rescued. The incident has rekindled memories in South Korea of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which killed more than 300 people, mostly schoolchildren on a school trip, even though the Sewol sank in the same area far out to sea.
Kim Hwang-kyun, an investigator with the Coast Guard in Mokpo, told a news conference that the crew members in the latest incident had conflicting statements. He said that regardless of their testimony, authorities were looking into charges of gross negligence. In his initial statement, the first captain, or captain, said he was watching the news on his mobile phone at the time of the incident. Mr Kim said the investigation will include a forensic examination of the crew’s cell phones, the ferry’s navigation data, and local ship traffic control.
Seaworld, the ferry’s operator, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the incident. Another Coast Guard official said several people required medical attention, but none were in life-threatening condition and the vessel sustained minor damage to its hull. Mr Kim said the ship had not deviated from its course and was traveling at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour, which is within the permitted range. When the turn was not made, officials would check whether the ship could not change course in time in the narrow shipping lanes in the area.
Another coast guard official said vessels in the area typically operate manually rather than autonomously, as the waterway is a narrow waterway surrounded by small islands near the coast. The official confirmed the crew were not intoxicated.