BBC Online :
Prosecutors in South Korea have asked a court to issue an arrest warrant for the captain of the ferry that sank on Wednesday, officials say.
It was earlier revealed that a junior officer – and not the captain – was at the helm of the ferry when it capsized.
Efforts to find the 268 people still missing have been hampered by low visibility and strong currents.
Twenty-eight people are now known to have died in the disaster, with 179 people rescued.
In addition to the captain, arrest warrants are also being sought for two other crew members, reports say.
“The joint investigation team of police and prosecutors asked for warrants to arrest three crew, including the captain,” a coast guard official in Makpo told AFP.
Investigations into the ferry disaster are focusing on the sharp turn the vessel took before it started listing and whether an evacuation order by the captain could have saved lives.
The vessel – named Sewol – had been travelling from Incheon, in the north-west, to the southern resort island of Jeju. It capsized and sank within a period of two hours, officials said.
Prosecutors in South Korea have asked a court to issue an arrest warrant for the captain of the ferry that sank on Wednesday, officials say.
It was earlier revealed that a junior officer – and not the captain – was at the helm of the ferry when it capsized.
Efforts to find the 268 people still missing have been hampered by low visibility and strong currents.
Twenty-eight people are now known to have died in the disaster, with 179 people rescued.
In addition to the captain, arrest warrants are also being sought for two other crew members, reports say.
“The joint investigation team of police and prosecutors asked for warrants to arrest three crew, including the captain,” a coast guard official in Makpo told AFP.
Investigations into the ferry disaster are focusing on the sharp turn the vessel took before it started listing and whether an evacuation order by the captain could have saved lives.
The vessel – named Sewol – had been travelling from Incheon, in the north-west, to the southern resort island of Jeju. It capsized and sank within a period of two hours, officials said.
