South Korean ferry disaster outrage continues as new footage of 15 members of crew including the captain abandoning the listing vessel angered families of victims. Reports coming in from Korea say the country is angry and saddened by the disaster that left 302 persons dead or missing.
Most of the passengers are students from a school in Ansan, near Seoul, Danwon High School. "Almost 250 students and teachers from Danwon have been confirmed dead or are presumed to have died," according to Reuters.
Officials said that the first distress call came from a student: "Save us! We're on a ship and I think it's sinking," the boy was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency. Later, reports confirmed that the boy's body was found.
The plight of the unconfirmed status of passengers is similar to the Malaysia Airlines tragedy, which is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean. The search for debris is ongoing by the Australian government. The situation has angered families of victims, who were mostly Chinese.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won made an apology before resigning on account of the South Korean ferry disaster. Hong-won made "an apology to the people" in a televised news conference. "When I saw the people's sadness and fury, I thought it was natural for me to step down with an apology," he was quoted as saying by BBC.
The South Korean Ferry Captain Lee Joon-seok, 68, arrested for jeopardizing the lives of more than 300 passengers who are believed to be missing or dead, was taken into custody by police after the ferry capsized.
One of the puzzling facts in the ferry tragedy was eyewitness accounts from passengers revealing the crew's instructions to stay on board. Accusations against the Korean government include a number of loopholes in safety measures along with a sloppy law enforcement that paved the way to the 6,825-ton ferry, the Sewol, to sink on April 16.
Mr. Lee responded to accusations that he delayed evacuation of passengers on board, he said that he thought they would 'drift away' if they did not remain in the ferry. Captain Lee Joon Seok was quoted as saying in a report Thursday, "I feel really sorry for the passengers, victims and families. ... I feel ashamed."
"The situation is very difficult due to the weather, but we are continuing search efforts, using the occasional calmer periods," an opposition spokesman told BBC, adding "93 divers would take part in Sunday's operation."
The Guardian reports, "Senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin said the cause of the sinking could be due to excessive veering, improper stowage of cargo, modifications made to the ship and tidal influence. He said investigators would determine the cause by consulting with experts and using simulations."
CNN said in an online report that two video clips revealed that the crew scrambled to safety while the second clip showed passengers panicking with footage of how bad the situation was:
"Wow, it's tilting a lot. We're tilting to this side. Can't move," said one passenger, while another said crying, "You think I'm really going to die?"
The video of events that unfolded before the ferry sunk has caused fresh outrage in South Korea Monday. Officials and families continued to raise alarm as they tried to come to terms with the Sewol's sinking leading to so many passengers going down with the ship, while many of the crew survived.
To view a YouTube video of ABC News, "Captain Abandons Ferry That Sunk Off South Korea", click here.
