Search operations on the capsized South Korean ferry, the Sewol, have entered the 20th day, with the latest death toll rising to 262, and 40 people still unaccounted for. South Korean reports say one diver has been found died after losing contact during search operations.
The volunteer diver joined the operations yesterday. He was in his first mission on Tuesday morning. Now, all underwater search has been suspended.
One hundred and twenty-seven divers were a part of the search operation on Monday which was mainly focused on the central hall on the ferry’s third level. The search team estimates amongst the 110 areas in the ship. There were 64 areas possible for passengers to take refuge. So far, the team has completed searching 61 areas, and plan to search public areas such as the corridors, stairs and rest rooms.
A mid-May deadline has been set to expand the search area to the cargo compartment should the remaining of the 40 missing have not been found.
Meanwhile, South Korean media reported that in the past 13 months, the ferry Sewol made more than 240 trips with overloaded cargo. The ferry made its final journey, with a total loading weight of 2,600 tons, the highest load it ever carried.