Monday, 17/04/2017 17:01 (GMT+7)
On April 16th, the Republic of Korea (RoK) organized a number of activities to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster.
(Photo: Yonhap)
Events took place in Seoul, Incheon, Ansan and Jind, the island close to the scene where the Sewol sank, with citizens sending their messages of solace to the families of the deceased.
During his speech at an event to underline the importance of public safety, Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn vowed to make all-out efforts to recover the bodies of the missing victims.
"I pray for the souls of the victims, who passed away due to the tragic ferry accident three years ago and would like to extend my words of solace to the bereaved families," Hwang said at the event in Seoul.
The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it took a sharp turn and capsized off the southwestern island of Jindo on April 16th, 2014, with the loss of 304 lives.
Of those who died, 250 were students from Dawon High School in Ansan, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul.
Sewol was a RoPax ferry that was built by the Japanese company Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. in 1994. At 146m in length and 22m in width, she could carry 921 passengers, or a total of 956 persons, including the crew. It had a legal capacity for 180 vehicles and 154 regular cargo containers. The maximum speed of the ship was 22 knots (41km/h; 25 mph), connecting Incheon and Jeju island./.
Compiled by BTA