MOKPO, South Korea: Human error was likely to blame for a passenger ferry’s running aground off South Korea’s southwestern coast this week, the Coast Guard said today.
According to Yonhap News, all 267 people aboard were safely rescued.
The 26,546-ton ‘Queen Jenuvia II’ was carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members when it ran aground on the uninhabited islet of Jok near Jangsan Island, off the coast of Sinan, 366 kilometres south of Seoul, at 8:17 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday.
During the first round of questioning, crew members told the Coast Guard that the navigator in charge at the time was looking at his phone, leaving the vessel on autopilot when it should have been operated manually to pass through narrow waters.
As a result, the ferry sailed past the point where it should have veered and ran aground on the islet, stopping after half the hull had mounted the land.
The Coast Guard said it plans to seek criminal charges against those responsible.
The ferry was dislodged by towing and sailed into a nearby port in the southwestern city of Mokpo at 5:44 a.m. (local time), some nine hours after it ran aground.
No holes or leaks were found in the ship, enabling it to sail on its own.
All the passengers were brought to shore beforehand, within some three hours of the accident, but the crew members stayed behind to help bring the vessel to port.
None of the passengers was reported to be seriously injured, though some were taken to hospitals after complaining of mild pains or nervous breakdowns.
The ferry’s operator, Seaworld, said it has suspended all services until the investigation and safety inspections are completed.
Passengers were informed to unload their cars and luggage after the ferry arrived at the port.
A total of 118 vehicles had been on the vessel as it travelled to Mokpo from the southern island of Jeju. – BERNAMA-YONHAP
