Yard number 1006 Launched 13 April 1994 Draft 6.26 m | Completed June 1994 Length 146 m Beam 22 m Builder Hayashikane | |
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Name Ferry Naminoue (1994–2012)Sewol (2013–2014) Owner Oshima Unyu, Kagoshima, Japan (1994–2007)A-Line Ferry Company, Kagoshima, Japan (2007–2012)Chonghaejin Marine Co., Ltd., Incheon, South Korea (2012–2014) | ||
MV Sewol (Korean: 세월호, Hanja: 世越號, Beyond the World) was a Korean vehicle-passenger ferry, built and previously operated in Japan. It was operated between Incheon to Jeju. On 16 April 2014 Sewol capsized and sank with the loss of 304 passengers and crew.
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Description
Sewol was a RoPax ferry that was built by the Japanese company Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. (Japanese: 林兼船渠) in 1994. At 146 m (479 ft) in length and 22 m (72 ft) in width, she could carry 921 passengers, or a total of 956 persons, including the crew. She had a legal capacity for 180 vehicles and 154 regular cargo containers. The maximum speed of the ship was 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).
Operations
The ferry was originally known as Ferry Naminoue (Japanese: フェリーなみのうえ) between 1994 and 2012, and had been operated in Japan for almost 18 years without any accidents. In 2012, the ship was later bought for ₩11.6 billion (US$11.3 million) by Chonghaejin Marine Company, controlled by the family of businessman Yoo Byung-eun. The ship was renamed Sewol, and refurbished. Modifications included adding extra passenger cabins on the third, fourth, and fifth decks, raising the passenger capacity by 117, and increasing the weight of the ship by 239 tons. After regulatory and safety checks by the Korean Register of Shipping, the ship began her operation in South Korea on 15 March 2013. The ship made three round-trips every week from Incheon to Jeju. In February 2014 it was reported that Sewol again passed a vessel safety inspection by the South Korean Coast Guard following an intermediate survey to ensure the ship remained in a general condition which satisfied requirements set by the Korean Register of Shipping.
Sinking
On 16 April 2014 Sewol capsized and sank 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) off Donggeochado, Jindo County, South Jeolla Province on a voyage from Incheon to Jeju. 304 of those on board died.
The South Korea government's Board of Audit and Inspection revealed that the Korean Register's licensing was based on falsified documents. After the incident, the company reported that the ship was carrying 124 cars, 56 trucks, and 1157 tons of cargo. The amount of cargo carried was twice the legal limit.
On 12 February 2015, Kim Kyung-il, the coastguard captain, was sentenced to four years in prison.
Salvage
In April 2015 a technical report concluded that it was feasible to raise the wreck of Sewol and President Park said she hoped that it would be carried out as soon as possible. Following the receipt of tenders from salvage companies, it was announced on 15 July 2015 that a consortium led by China's Shanghai Salvage Company was the favoured bidder, at a cost of 85.1 billion won (US$74.6 million).