JINDO, South Korea — South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Monday that the captain and some crew members of the sunken ferry committed "unforgivable, murderous behavior," while criticism of her own government's handling of the disaster grew.
As divers continued to search the interior of the submerged vessel, the confirmed death toll rose to 86, according to information from the coast guard posted for the victims' families. About 220 people remain missing.
The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and waited more than half an hour to issue an evacuation order as the ferry Sewol sank Wednesday. By then the ship had tilted so much it is believed that many passengers were trapped inside.
Park said at a Cabinet briefing, "What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense. Unforgivable, murderous behavior." The comments were posted on the website of the presidential Blue House.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
25822476