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SOUTH KOREA’S PRIME minister has resigned over the sinking of a passenger ferry that left more than 300 people dead or missing, amid huge public anger over what is seen as a bungled response to the tragedy.
Chung Hong-Won admitted he had not been up to the task of overseeing rescue operations after the Sewol capsized with 476 people — many of them schoolchildren — on board.
“I offer my apology for having been unable to prevent this accident from happening and unable to properly respond to it afterwards,” he said.
“I believed I, as the prime minister, certainly had to take responsibility and resign.”
Parents and relatives of the missing and the dead have blasted the response to the sinking, saying the rescue operation was too slow to swing into action, possibly costing lives.
Passengers
There has also been rage over perceived corruption and lax safety standards that may have led to the disaster, with claims that the ferry was overloaded and the passenger list was inaccurate and incomplete.
“The latest accident left all South Koreans in great shock and sorrow. (Many) days have passed since the accident, but the screams of families of the missing still keep me up at night,” Chung told a nationally-televised press conference.
“I sincerely hope that South Koreans and families of the Sewol victims will forgive and understand me for being unable to fulfil my obligations until the end. I beg you once again to rally support (for rescue operations).”
Bodies
The confirmed death toll from the tragedy stood Sunday at 187, with 115 unaccounted for, their bodies believed trapped in the sunken vessel.
Divers were battling decompression sickness and atrocious weather in their grim search for corpses.
Further complicating their efforts was the increasing depth of the wreck as it sinks slowly into the silt of the seabed, making an already dangerous diving operation even more hazardous.
Despite waves up to three metres (nine feet) tall and near gale-force winds, teams were still trying to search the ferry.
A coastguard spokesman said 98 frogmen would be trying to get into rooms on the fourth deck of the 6,825 tonne Sewol, but he warned the worsening conditions were making things hard.
“A growing number of divers are reporting decompression sickness,” he said. “We are trying our best to make progress in these difficult weather conditions.”
“As the ship has sunk further… the diving depth also increased to more than 40 metres (130 feet), posing even more difficulties for search efforts.”
Divers
Pressure rises as divers go deeper, increasing the amount of air they breathe from their tanks.
This not only reduces dive time, but also heightens levels of nitrogen in their bloodstream, raising the risk of potentially harmful bubbles forming in body tissue. This decompression sickness, which is also known as “the bends”, can cause long-term health problems.
Although all hope of finding survivors has been extinguished, there is still anger and deep frustration among relatives of the missing over the pace of the recovery operation.
It took divers two days to get inside the ferry after it sank, and a further two days to bring up the first bodies.
Strong underwater currents, poor visibility and the presence of debris makes the operation as difficult as it is harrowing.
One room they were able to access earlier in the week contained the bodies of 48 young students, all wearing life jackets.
Crew
On the surface, recriminations continue, with four more of the ship’s crew arrested on Saturday.
Their arrests mean all 15 surviving crew members responsible for sailing the vessel were in custody, facing charges ranging from criminal negligence to abandoning passengers.
Prosecutors have also raided a host of businesses affiliated with the ferry operator, the Chonghaejin Marine Company, as part of an overall probe into corrupt management.
The widening investigation has seen travel bans put on eight current and former executives of the Korea Register of Shipping — the body responsible for issuing marine safety certificates.
Around a quarter of the dead recovered so far have been found in waters outside the sunken vessel, and there are fears that some of the missing may have drifted free from the wreck.
Authorities have installed 13-kilometre-long nets anchored to the seabed across the Maenggol sea channel to prevent the dead being swept into the open ocean.
Dozens of other vessels and helicopters have been scouring the site and beyond, with the search operation expanded up to 60 kilometres from the scene of the disaster, while coastal areas and nearby islands will also be searched.
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Please God, don’t let the Trump campaign publish a photo of Hillary naked in response!
LOL!
I’d say Hillary was a beaut in the day she probably looked well in her pelt.
You’re right pat. Hilary in her day was quite fetching
It would be a naked photo of potential first gentleman William Jefferson Clinton that we could be “treated” to.
The image just popped into my head and it will not go away… thanks David!….you are paying for the counseling….
Publiish a photo of a naked Bill with Monica and the Whitehouse will turn blue
“You’re right pat. Hilary in her day was quite fetching” Yeah when she fetching a bone. lmfao! :)
That’s funny Pat – I haven’t heard the term “pelt” since my rural Ireland childhood, 40 years ago!
or bill naked. jesus david
Dave the heading the ogle office , for the clintons it’s calls the oral office
I don’t like Trump, but this is wrong, a step too far, but then it is Murdoch so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Didn’t Trump drag Ted Cruz’s wife Heidi into the Republican contest … surely this is fair game?
She looks and still looks amazing. Im sure her kids are well aware but still, this will only strenghten the trumps
How is this too far.. She posed for the pictures.. they weren’t taken by long range lense while she was in private. They were made to be published….
Why is it wrong this was her job it was already published she worked at this. She chose to put herself on magazines etc. So what does he or her expect
What’s wrong is the journal didn’t publish it.
the top is out of proportion with the bottom
Agreed .. she posed for them so I’m sure they knew that those photos were going to come back to haunt them at some stage ..
@Stephen What’s wrong about it ? That was her job. Everyone knows. It’s not a secret. The photos weren’t taken without her knowledge.
I wonder why an attractive young woman like that would marry an old bigot bully like Trump
Love.
You left out rich
Great hair.
She married him for his hairstyle
The Quiff.
Yes, I wonder what attracted her to the billionaire D Trump.
his love of bankruptcies
His big mouth
Lads yere some jealous feickers
She married him for his huge hands.
Did their eyes meet over a briefcase full of money?
Maybe he was the booby prize at at one of his tits and teeth pageants!
Don’t you mean ” an old bigot billionaire like Trump “
For the same reason Debbie McGee married the millionaire Paul Daniels.
Money of course!
So Melania, what first attracted you to the Billionaire Donald Trump.
Green card?
Ask Debbie McGee.
Joeys wasteland
Love of money
Money, money, money……. It’s a rich man’s world!
@ Tweety McTweeter “I wonder why an attractive young woman like that would marry an old bigot bully like Trump.”
The answer to that is in his trousers. Or his trouser pocket to be precise: his wallet. And just think, if she can stay married to him until he kicks the bucket (he’s 70 now ands she’s only 46), she’ll likely have a good few years to spend his money and reap her reward for having to fake orgasms with that pathetic old limp dick pervo.
You OK hun?
sex appeal
Not a lover of Trump but really?
No ones saying you are Trump’s lover Deborah.
Spot on Fake Avast. The MSM 24 hrs a day running anti Trump propaganda and still he leads the polls. The man is a a genius.
Don the Con was pushing Romney to release his tax returns back in 2012 and he even got Pence to release his tax returns before making him his running mate
TRUMP: I think first answer would have been good. It should have been delivered a certain way. But April 1st historically is the time that everybody gives them ( tax returns)
http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2012/01/19/trump-gop-stop-playing-president-obamas-hands/
Wow, Fox News need a proof reader! But true enough he does say April 1st is the traditional deadline
Beautiful.
If that doesn’t swing it in favour of The Donald then I’m giving up on political predictions.
Someone just asked me how I thought The Donald felt now. I suggested “proud”.
Donald probably rang Rupert and suggested:
Rupes, I ain’t doing well in the polls, put Melania on the cover.
Cheers bud.
See you in the White House in a few months.
“Rupe’s my man…deploy the secret weapons”
He is doing well in the polls though, actually went ahead of Hillary after the DNC email story broke.
Stunning…she would be a considerable upgrade.
Donald would be a considerable downgrade
Holy Malania
Murdock must support Hilary
Yeah because Michelle Obama having two Ivy League degrees is so appalling compared to the naked plagerist that is Trumps 3rd wife.
Michelle Obama is so preachy and always looks angry.
And so is your mama
I thought that about your aul wan as well, but only when I woke up the following morning after a feed of beer and riding her. The story of my life: I never went to bed with an ugly woman, but I sure woke up beside a lot of them. LOL
Well glad to see Alan De Morrighan that you are keeping sexism well and truly alive.
@John003. Murdock would support anything that would sell the rages he owns that he calls news papers.
Jaysus Donald did well for himself there
Donnie is often seen to use the Miss World competition or other ‘beauty’ contestants to ‘shop’ for his new wife.
His frist wife was a Ms World contestant. His mistress, and subsequently, his second wife, was the same, story. And MElania, his third mistress, who he met while married to his second wife, was the same story.
Knowing Donnie’s history, I doubt he will stay with her for too long.
She’s following Donnie’s lying abilities too-she claims to have a degree from a University in Slovenia-yet she dropped out of college in her first year. She never graduated or returned to college.
So yeah, they were well met.
She would get a lot of votes for D.
Funny how “Hitlery’s” past can be rapidly brushed under the carpet and kept there and Milania can be exposed, (forgive the pun) like this!, no matter it won’t harm his campaign, if anything it will strengthen his vote, she is a beautiful woman and he must be the envy of most red blooded males out there!
Kate, have you got something on Hilary’s past? Evidence and facts please.
dublinlad, the mother’s of the victims of the Benghazi terroriorists have a thing or two to say about Hitlary and her actions or lack of, did she know that all security had been pulled from the embassy?, most probably!, the e mail scandal, I could go on……
Their known close association with Jeffrey Epstein leaves a sour taste in my mouth and she looked on and stood by her man while the whole world ridiculed 22 year old Monica Lewinsky!
Jeffrey was a good buddy of Trump too.
Donal, the Clintons were a lot closer to him than Trump ever was, he attended Chelsea’s wedding!
Kate flaherty, fair play to you for brining that up , I got slated on her for mentioning that , people have very short memories about hitlers mistress
Kate, as I’m sure you’re aware Hillary was cleared of all charges in both cases. I can’t help but feel that these pictures are an attempt to get Trump to speak about his wife in a sexist manner. Otherwise they don’t hurt or help him. As with everything else, it’s his reaction that will determine the effect
Dave, waiting on the latest Assange leaks, interesting times ahead!
If he indeed has any, he has said this before. I still feel he is letting the integrity of his organisation down by sitting on information
Kate, the wife of ambassador Stephens have asked people to stop bringing up his death. Hillary has been cleared. So once again I will ask, do you have any facts or hard info on this?
And Kate, the assange leaks? How come he hasn’t released them about Benghazi? Don’t you think he would have done it by now? All I ever hear about is wikileaks but I never actually see them.
Declan I should hope that if any president was caught in such a comprising position today he would be at once dismissed from office and a full public inquiry held, and that the 22 year old girl would be given as much support and assurance and privacy as she needed!, he was and is known for his infidelities that Hilary chooses to overlook, but this young college grad was made a scape goat and an example made of!
I agree with the #Berners… LOCK HER UP, LOCK HER UP!
dublinlad, Dave, this is the thing about leaks, it’s all in the timing or so they say!
Hitlery. Oooooh did you see some redneck on a website come up with that one. She was exonerated for the things you mentioned as her misdeeds. You say you could go on Kate Flahery. Please do, I’d like to see what else you picked up from FOX News.
Kate, when the main claim of the organisation is that they are freedom of information activists sitting on information would seem to prove otherwise
Kate, a full inquiry was held!!!! Multiple times!!!!
Rumor, speculation, innuendo, hearsay, gossip are not evidence and facts.
Sure bill and Hillary were at Trumps wedding to this naked lady.
dublinlad, rumours, gossip and innuendo!, he was the president of the United States, she was a 22 year old just starting out in the world, any gossip rumour or innuendo has been of his own making!, let’s face it she wasn’t his first fall from grace and neither was she his last!!
Kate, unless you can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt then there’s no point slandering someone.
That old miserable ‘cuckhold’ Murdoch couldn’t hang onto his own 3rd wife Wendi Deng who was caught red-handed with house-guest Tony Blair,- so now he wants to screw up someone else’s marriage to a 3rd wife. What an envious malicious old turd.
Any other paper than the New York Post, you might be surprised. That rag would make toilet paper blush.
She is easy on the eyes.please don’t post naked pictures of the other potential First Lady
You know something about Bill that we don’t…are you Monica Lewinsky?
There isn’t another potential first lady, Bernie dropped out. Do keep up.
Doesnt murdoch own notorious republican right wing pro trump Fox News?? Dont think Rupert can be blamed here, he aint no democrat!!
It was the Russians!
Most pure republicans arent a fan of trump
Trump has had run-ins with Fox before. Quite a few Republicans, Murdoch among them, think that Trump is a paper Republican who’s only running with them to get elected rather than actually being a genuine Republican.
Yeah but they also aired a Trump interview during the DNC, that may show a bit of favouritism
In fairness this a bit of a D!(K move. Although I can see this making the donald more popular.
I’m no supporter of Trump but really?
I personally cannot wait until he is voted into office. It’s what this world needs. A realist. There’s been too much pussyfooting for too long.
Coach I am with you on that one as are a lot of US citizens
You shouldn’t mistake a lack of “pussyfooting” for wisdom.
I’m sure Stalin didn’t f*ck around either, didn’t make him a good leader.
Actually, he was a great leader but also had personality disorder manifesting in abhorrent events.
And he murdered a few million of his own citizens, but don’t let that fact get in the way of your admiration for a gruesome despot.
Too soon. Trump wins.
There’s nothing wrong with the female body, especially hers. And you can’t blame a girl for doing photoshoots like that if she’s hard up for a bit of money. But she must have been desperate for a green card to let a creep like Trump get the leg over.
Wow , that is one smokin hot First Lady , thank god they didn’t put up that’s auld fat ugly wrinkled yoke hitlery Clinton .
You are such a gentleman.
Come on now dave, Killary has got a head like a bulldog chewing a wasp, no wonder Old bill dipped his cigars somewhere else
Just shows what he’ll be voting with
Hillary Clinton was a very beautiful woman in her day as well. We all get old, you know, but she’s still attractive.
That picture of Melania was taken in 1995 – 21 years ago – and I’d say she’s been around a good few blocks since then. Not so sure I’d get very turned on by a recent nude picture of her and her facial features are not at all appealing. In fact, they remind me uncomfortably of the ladyboys in Thailand, many of whom are far better-looking than her.
so i take it you have seen a lot of lady boys in Thailand? – And there was me thinking you only went for the sun,
Whatever floats your boat Fintan
I think you misspelled son there
It’s hard NOT to see the ladyboys in Thailand, but that doesn’t mean I find them appealing. As you say, whatever floats your boat, though.
@Fintan Oflaois,
Stay classy, you basically called her a slut.
Don’t show that photo to Bill or we’ll have a lot more whitewater.
Wow an absolute stunner , sad that the times and Clinton stooped so low with this . She will make a brilliant first lady
What about a picture of Edna in the nip on the front of The Phoenix magazine?
Don’t let trump group respond by putting a naked picture of bill up
There must be a few fellows out there who rode her before Trump did, but they’d be well advised to keep stumm about it, otherwise they’ll be “silenced”. Permanently.
Yellow journalism re-imagined, disgusting
Feminists will be outraged.
Hahaha.
No they won’t.
Burn the bra and be topless? That was feminism in the 60/70s in US?
They should run with some up to date pics next week to compare her 20 years on
And Melania is the classist part of the whole trump package by a long, long way……
Good for Trump, he’s getting some of that every night.
I just feel sorry for the poor sod who shares a bed with Hillary.
Stay classy Eamon. Sure it now took Trump 3 wives to find true love.
Have you a photo of the desk of Mr Clinton?
She’s a slut and slap, married to neo nazi
That is the male vote up… In NY and in the Southern States. Things like this can backfire, look at Jordan? Tits are popular and the biggest tits now are Donald and Hillary?
If Trump hates immigrants so much, why does he keep marrying them?
have your say