Death Toll Rises to 213 in S. Korean Ferry Disaster
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Death toll rose to 213 in a South Korean ferry disaster during which a 6,825-ton passenger ship capsized and sank off the country's southwestern coast.
As of Thursday afternoon, 213 people have been confirmed dead, leaving 89 others still missing. There has been no rescue reported since 174 people were saved from the sinking ship on April 16.
The search entered its 16th day on Thursday, with only one more body recovered from the submerged ship earlier in the day, as search operations were hampered by swift currents and murky waters, Xinhua reported.
Divers completed search operations for 44 passenger cabins of the total 64 on the third and fourth floors of the five-story vessel. The cabins were believed to have accommodated most of the remaining unaccounted for.
A total of 47 divers were conducting search operations, while 198 rescue ships and 37 airplanes were deployed to help search possible bodies swept far away from the scene. One body was found in waters around 2 km away from the scene.
