AT SEA: South Korean coast guards continue in removing oil leaked from capsized ferry as divers continue searching for missing passengers

Record ID: 344484

  • Title: AT SEA: South Korean coast guards continue in removing oil leaked from capsized ferry as divers continue searching for missing passengers
  • Date: 22nd April 2014
  • Summary: OFF COAST OF SOUTH KOREA (APRIL 21, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIVERS DIVING INTO WATER NEAR SUNKEN FERRY VARIOUS OF RESCUERS ON BOATS VARIOUS OF COAST GUARD OFFICIALS REMOVING OIL SLICK WITH WHITE FABRIC FABRIC COATED WITH OIL OFFICIALS PUTTING FABRIC INTO PLASTIC BAG (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 50-YEAR-OLD CAPTAIN OF FISHING BOAT, HEO JAE-GYUN, SAYING: "I think the oil slick will affect divers searching in the water." OIL SLICK ON SURFACE OF SEA COAST GUARD OFFICIALS REMOVING OIL SLICK WITH WHITE FABRIC FABRIC COATED WITH OIL OFFICIALS CLEANING OIL (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 50-YEAR-OLD CAPTAIN OF FISHING BOAT, HEO JAE-GYUN, SAYING: "If the oil is not removed the ocean farms in this area will receive serious damage and the oil will spread further because of the strong tidal currents." VARIOUS OF COAST GUARD SHIP ANOTHER COAST GUARD SHIP WITH OIL FENCE GIANT FLOATS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO SUNKEN FERRY BUOY MARKING GUIDELINES FOR DIVERS VARIOUS OF COAST GUARD OFFICIALS GATHERED ON BARGE VARIOUS OF RESCUERS ON BOAT NEAR SUNKEN FERRY
  • Embargoed: 7th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Nature / Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA5S8Q9K0UWQPBMZ1FKEQ43REML
  • Story Text: South Korea's coastguards continued to remove oil leaked from the capsized ferry on Monday (April 21) as divers carried on with the search for missing passengers.
    The coast guards said they started the oil cleanup operation on Saturday (April 19) as soon as they spotted the oil slick.
    Seoul's Yonhap News Agency said the 300-metre-long oil plume was spotted surrounding the ferry Sewol in the waters off Jindo.
    A total of 203,000 litres of oil, including 139,000 litres of bunker-C oil and 39,000 litres of diesel are thought to be on the ship, Yonhap added.
    A South Korean captain of a fishing boat said the oil slick would cause difficulties for search divers.

    "I think the oil slick will affect divers searching in the water," said 50-year-old South Korean captain of fishing boat, Heo Jae-gyun.

    "If the oil is not removed the ocean farms in this area will receive serious damage and the oil will spread further because of the strong tidal currents," Heo added.
    Strong tides hampered operations overnight but the weather was better on Monday. Two U.S. underwater drones have been deployed in the search for bodies, a coastguard official said.
    Sixty-four people are known to have died and 238 are missing, presumed dead, in the sinking of the Sewol ferry last Wednesday. Most of the victims are high school children.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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