Hopes rise for a new investigation to clear lingering suspicions about the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry, with the wreckage recovered, missing victims’ remains found and several phones discovered with still-retrievable data.
An independent fact-finding committee investigating the disaster, which killed over 300 passengers, is set to meet Friday to discuss how to proceed with their probe.
The special body, launched in April with eight members appointed by the National Assembly, said that it will review data restored from 3-4 mobile phones, collected from the site of the sinking and inside the salvaged ferry.
Workers search through the wreckage of the Sewol ferry at the port of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
It was not immediately known what kind of data was retrieved, but hopes are growing for photos or videos containing fresh evidence of what caused the tragedy and why so many were not rescued.
“We will have an in-depth discussion during the meeting on measures to efficiently recover remains and make use of digital forensic technology,” said Kim Chang-joon, chief of the special committee.
A search team has been combing the insides of the heavily corroded passenger ship, lifted out of water in late March and now sitting on dry ground of Mokpo Port.
Several human bones have been found, and the identity of two victims were confirmed as of Wednesday.
A British marine surveying firm Brookes Bell had conducted an initial survey of the hull in early April.
So far, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries handed a total of 77 electronic devices retrieved from the Sewol ferry to the committee, which includes mobile phones, digital camera, vehicles black box and GPS tracking system.
But due to budget deficit, the special committee said it only requested data restoration to private experts for 15 mobile phones.
Meanwhile, with the search operation accelerating both inside the raised Sewol ferry and underwater by divers simultaneously, workers said more remains and personal belongings were found from the ship’s interior.
The ministry said that a passport of Lee Young-sook, one of the nine victims who went missing in the 2014 disaster, was found late Tuesday near where remains of a person wearing a life jacket were recovered Monday.
“What we can say for now is that Lee’s passport was found among pieces of bones collected Monday, as we need identification process of bones with National Forensic Service,” said Kim Cheol-hong, a ministry official in charge of the search operation.
As of Wednesday, search teams have completed about 50 percent of a search into the third and fourth deck of the ferry, where passenger cabins are located.
The ministry said the workers have cut off parts of an escalator on the third floor and cleared obstacles to gain access to the rest of the cabin on the third deck.
So far, among the remains found during the search operation, the identity of two victims -- a Danwon High School teacher Go Chang-suk and a student Heo Da-yoon -- have been confirmed.
By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)
