Updated: Death toll surges to 104 in S.Korean ferry sinking accidentDeath toll in a South Korean ferry sinking accident surged to 104 on Tuesday morning as 17 bodies were pulled out of the submerged vessel during overnight search operations.
Divers began conducting underwater search operations from around 6:30 a.m. local time.
So far, 104 people have been confirmed dead, with 198 others still missing. The number of the rescued remained unchanged at 174.
Around 550 divers will be dispatched to search bodies and possible survivors inside the ship, while 212 ships and 34 airplanes will be deployed.
Climatic conditions are forecast to be favorable for search operations. Water temperature is at 13 degrees Celsius, and waves are 0.5 meter high. Tidal currents are 1.5 knots.
Divers began entering and searching inside the submerged vessel from Monday, but it led to a surge in death toll. On Monday alone, 28 bodies were retrieved from the ferry.
Bodies of 3 foreign passengers found
The bodies of two missing Chinese passengers and another foreign citizen aboard a capsized South Korean ferry were recovered by rescuers on Monday.
Two of the victims were identified as Chinese men according to their identification cards while another male victim's nationality remained unknown. The death toll has risen to 87 after the 6,825- ton "Sewol" sank off South Korea's southwest coast Wednesday.
One of the Chinese victim was found in waters where the ferry sank at 19:10 local time, the other was recovered inside the ship at 17:40 local time, according to South Korea's Coast Guard.
Another male foreign victim was found at 18:10 local time inside the ship. The coast guard described him as a foreign student according to his curly hair, clothes and other traits in outer appearance.
The Chinese embassy has confirmed that four Chinese nationals - two men and two women - were among the missing passengers aboard the ill-fated ship. South Korean Coast Guard confirmed that a Russian student was also among the missing ones.
A total of 87 passengers have been officially listed as dead so far, 174 have been rescued and 215 are still missing.
The passengers aboard the ship included 325 students and 15 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, which, according to the Chinese embassy, is home to many Chinese nationals.
S. Korean president: Ferry crew actions 'murderous'
South Korean President Park Geun-hye strongly criticized the captain and some of his crew members of the ferry Sewol on Monday for leaving hundreds of passengers behind and deserting the sinking ship, saying what they did amounted to an act of "murder," local media reported.
Park also vowed to uncover all irregularities involved in the ferry's operations and force those responsible to take "criminal and civil" responsibilities regardless of their ranks.
At a meeting with senior aides, the president acknowledged there were serious problems with the government's initial response to the disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing.
"Above all, the conduct of the captain and some crew members is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense, and it was like an act of murder that cannot and should not be tolerated," Park told senior secretaries, quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
Fears rise, hopes fade for S.Korean ferry sinking disaster
Fears that the South Korean ferry sinking accident could become one of the country's worst maritime disasters in two decades have been rising as rescue operations are protracted.
The seventh day into search on Tuesday, 302 people have been left dead or missing for long. Though 174 people were rescued shortly after the passenger ship Sewol sank on April 16, there have been no survivors or survival signaling reported since.
A maritime accident tended to turn catastrophic as most passengers face hypothermia resulting in death amid the prolonged or delayed rescue operations.
Divers began entering and searching inside the submerged vessel from Monday, but it led to a surge in death toll. At least 87 people have died, with 215 others still missing. On Monday alone, 28 bodies were retrieved from the ferry.
Hopes were fading among family members of the missing as growing bodies were pulled out of the vessel amid the protracted rescue operations. >>>More
4 ferry crew members detained
A South Korean prosecutor says four more crew members from a sunken ferry have been detained on allegations of failing to protect passengers.
Senior prosecutor Ahn Sang-don told reporters Monday that two first mates, one second mate and a chief engineer are also accused of abandoning the ship.
Ahn says prosecutors are considering whether to ask a court for a formal arrest warrant that would allow for a longer period of investigation. South Koreans can only be detained for 48 hours without a court-issued formal arrest warrant.
The ferry's captain and two other crewmembers were previously formally arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.
