The captain of a South Korean ferry that sank this week said he delayed giving evacuation orders because he feared passengers would “drift away”.
Lee Joon-seok, 69, was arrested with two crew members yesterday.
“I gave instructions regarding the route, then I briefly went to the bedroom and then [the sinking] happened” said captain Lee
“The current was very strong, the temperature of the ocean water was cold, and I thought that if people left the ferry without proper judgement, if they were not wearing a life jacket, and even if they were, they would drift away and face many other difficulties.” he said.
He added that rescue boats had not arrived at the time of capsizing.
Divers saw three bodies in the ship on Saturday but were not able to retrieve them. The number of missing stands at 273 with 29 confirmed dead. Some 174 passengers were rescued.
The official leading the rescue said it “may last one or two months.”
