# Alterations to the "Sewol"



## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

Doomed Sewol carried three times its cargo limit
A team investigating the cause of the capsizing of the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol said that the doomed ferry carried cargo over three times its maximum load limit and reduced its ballast water to make room for more freight, citing testimony from a first mate of the ship. Water in ballast tanks provides stability to a ship. Despite the maximum limit of 987 tons of cargo, the Sewol was carrying an estimated 3,608 tons on the day it capsized off the southwestern coast, leaving 302 missing or dead, according to a team of prosecutors and police officers. The report heightens the suspicion that the ferry capsized because of gross mismanagement, but the team warned that confirmation of the cause of the abrupt listing and capsizing can’t be made until the ship is recovered.
The first mate, a 42-year-old man surnamed Kang, testified that he raised concerns about the overloaded ship on several occasions, including the day before sailing. But the head of the operating company’s logistics division, whom he identified by the surname Kim, shrugged off Kang’s warnings. “Kang said that he asked the division head to stop loading cargo because the ship might sink because of its weight,” said a prosecutor on the investigation team. “It appears that such a practice was not uncommon.” Kim was arrested on Wednesday for negligence of duty, along with an official of the operating company, Chonghaejin Marine, identified by the surname Ahn. Ahn is accused of brushing aside a demand by an off-duty captain surnamed Shin that the ship should stop overloading freight. The off-duty captain, who was on leave during the Sewol’s fatal journey, repeatedly warned of the overloading especially after the vessel was remodeled, according to the prosecution.


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## Pete D Pirate (Jan 8, 2014)

Geoff,

See the existing thread in 'News and Views' under 'South Korean Ferry SEWOL sinks'.

Cheers,
Pete.


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