South Korea raises sunken ferry three years after catastrophe

The Sewol ferry was structurally unsound, overloaded and travelling too fast on a turn when it capsized and sank during a routine voyage on April 16, 2014.

The sunken ferry Sewol raised to surface after a salvage operation.
TRT World and Agencies

The sunken ferry Sewol raised to surface after a salvage operation.

A South Korean ferry that sank nearly three years ago, resulting in 304 deaths, has been raised to the surface.

Most of those who died were teenagers on a school trip.

Many who died were told to stay in their cabins by the crew, but the ship's captain and crew did not take their own advice and were later sentenced to prison.

The disaster was a blot on former president Park Geun-hye's record in office that she was never able to clear. Park was accused of failing to take decisive action after news broke that the ferry was in trouble.

The raising of the ferry was a difficult moment for many families, still grieving the loss of their loved ones, especially those still looking for closure.

TRT World's Christine Pirovolakis reports.

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