South Korea ferry runs aground; captain and crew members arrested amid investigation
South Korean authorities have made arrests after a passenger ferry ran aground off the country’s south-eastern coast, prompting a major rescue operation but causing no fatalities.
The Queen Jenuvia 2, carrying 267 passengers and crew, struck rocks near the uninhabited island of Jogdo on Wednesday while en route from Jeju Island to the port city of Mokpo. All onboard were safely rescued, although 27 people suffered minor injuries, according to the coast guard, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Officials said the ferry initially became stuck on the rocks but has since been moved to a nearby port. A full investigation is under way, with authorities examining whether negligence by the captain or navigating officer led to the grounding.
Some passengers shared their experiences on social media as the incident unfolded.
“There was a loud bang, and then the ship tilted,” one passenger told. “An announcement told everyone to put on life jackets, so we’re wearing them and waiting on the top deck.”
Kim Namhyun, a diving instructor traveling from Jeju, said he feared for his life when he heard the impact. “But having seen the Sewol ferry, I knew that in situations like this, you have to stay calm, move outside, wear a life jacket, and wait,” he told Reuters.
The area where the ferry ran aground is close to the site of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, one of South Korea’s worst maritime disasters, which killed more than 300 people, most of them schoolchildren. The Sewol wreck was later transported to Mokpo for investigation and preservation.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the accident, but the arrests suggest investigators are looking closely at human error.
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