Classification
- Incident Type: Sinking
- Severity: High
- Vessel Type: Ferry
- Evidence: Secondary medical and emergency-response presentation
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | MV Sewol |
| Vessel Type | Ferry |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | 6825 |
| LOA (m) | |
| Year Built | 1994 |
| Owner/Operator | Chonghaejin Marine Company |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2014-04-16 |
| Location | On passage from Incheon to Jeju, South Korea |
| Region | South Korea |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Vessels Lost | 1 |
| Direct Damage | The ferry sank. |
Key facts
- MV Sewol sank on 16 April 2014 while en route from Incheon to Jeju.
- The presentation states that 476 people were aboard, including mostly second-grade high school students.
- It reports a sharp turn at approximately 08:49, followed by a severe list and a heel of more than 50 degrees to port.
- An evacuation was ordered at approximately 09:30 but was not relayed to all passengers.
- The presentation states that 172 people escaped.
Narrative
On 16 April 2014, MV Sewol was en route from Incheon to Jeju when it developed a severe list and sank. The converted presentation by Kyoung Jun Song of Seoul National University Hospital states that 476 people were aboard, mostly second-grade high school students. It records a reported sharp turn at approximately 08:49, after which passengers felt the vessel tilt and heard a loud bang. The crew later reported that the ferry had heeled more than 50 degrees to port. The presentation states that an evacuation was ordered at approximately 09:30 but was not relayed to all passengers. It also records coast guard and naval response actions and states that 172 people escaped. The presentation discusses overloaded cargo, maintenance, safety training, communications, crew actions, and rescue preparedness as problems or lessons, but it is not an official marine safety investigation and does not establish those points as independent findings. The final casualty breakdown, initiating cause, and economic loss are not verified in the reviewed source.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2014-04-16 08:49 local | The presentation reports a sharp turn, passenger-reported tilt, and a loud bang. |
| 2014-04-16 08:52 local | A student called 119 and was connected to the Mokpo coast guard. |
| 2014-04-16 09:14 local | The crew confirmed to VTS that the ferry was capsizing. |
| 2014-04-16 09:18 local | The crew reported a heel of more than 50 degrees to port. |
| 2014-04-16 09:30 local | An evacuation was ordered, but the presentation states that it was not relayed to all passengers. |
| 2014-04-16 11:28 local | Korea Navy's Ship Salvage Unit was deployed, according to the presentation. |
Investigation
The reviewed source is a medical and emergency-response presentation, not an official marine safety investigation. It records a timeline, response actions, survivor care, and discussion points, but it does not provide official causal findings or a verified final casualty breakdown. A stronger investigation source is needed for those questions.
References
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