Salvage work considered cautiously

Some relatives of the missing and government officials were cautiously weighing the potential start of work to raise the sunken ferry Sewol as rescue operations entered a seventh day to no avail, Tuesday.

While the families demand prioritizing rescue operations over salvaging the ship, there are also growing concerns that a further delay in lifting the vessel will increase the risk of losing and damaging the bodies of those still missing.

The need to prepare for the salvage work comes as hope for survival of the missing has been fading for the past week since the ferry carrying 476 people, mostly high school students, sank off the southwestern coast of Jindo, South Jeolla Province, last Wednesday.

In a statement Monday, the families asked the government to finish rescue work within two or three days. The statement came a day after representatives of the families, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Lee Ju-young had a meeting to discuss whether and when to refloat the hull.

Emerging from the meeting, Lee said, “We will disclose the specific plan and method later.”

The government earlier said it will not lift the ferry without the endorsement of the families, as refloating the ferry means a de-facto end to rescue operations.

Families have been desperately urging the government to hurry with the rescue work. But some of them now seem to have abandoned their hope for survivors as divers who have managed to enter the vessel have so far found only bodies.

Those calling for beginning salvage work at the earliest possible date say they want to hold their children in their bosom before the corpses are decomposed, so that they can recognize their faces.

The government has five giant cranes ready to start bringing the ferry up to the surface as soon as families agree that the work should begin.

Those waiting for a call near the scene include two 8,000-ton cranes owned by Samsung Heavy Industries and a 3,600-ton crane from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. A floating shipbuilding dock is also waiting to move the vessel to shore.

Despite relevant equipment on standby, salvage work of the 6,800-ton class ferry is expected to be an extremely tough task that will require more than 30 days.

Righting the capsized ferry whose length is 145 meters is expected to require more than 10 chains and considerable time given that the tidal current is strong and underwater visibility is bad in the area.

Workers who attempted to raise the sunken Navy ship Cheonan in 2010 also experienced difficulties as chains broke in the middle of the operation.

Salvage operations related to the naval vessel began a week after it sank following a North Korean torpedo attack. At the time, its stern was raised to the surface in 11 days and its bow in 15 days. By Jun Ji-hye The korea times организация займ онлайн