Families visit site of sunken SKorean ship as rescuers search for 46 missing navy sailors

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SKorea resumes searching for 46 missing navy crew

BAENGNYEONG ISLAND, South Korea — Weeping, angry relatives of 46 crew members missing after a mysterious explosion sank a South Korean navy ship sailed around the site Sunday as rescue teams took to the air and sea still hoping to find survivors.

None has been found since an initial rescue of 58 sailors from the 1,200-ton Cheonan that sank early Saturday near the tense border with North Korea. No bodies have been discovered.

The ship was on a routine patrol with other vessels in the Yellow Sea off South Korea’s west coast. The exact cause of the explosion remained unclear and officials said it could take weeks to determine.

It is one of South Korea’s worst naval disasters. In 1974, a ship sank off the southeast coast in stormy weather, killing 159 sailors and coast guard personnel. In 1967, 39 sailors were killed by North Korean artillery.

Fierce waves and high winds have hampered the search in the area where the two Koreas have fought bloody naval engagements. Despite the location of the sinking, North Korea did not appear to be involved.

“We have detected ‘no special movements’ by North Korean forces; however, we, as a command, continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for any contingency,” Gen. Walter Sharp, chief of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea, said in a statement Sunday.

South Korean troops were maintaining “solid military readiness,” the Defense Ministry said. It also said a U.S. military ship would join rescue operations Monday.

The Cheonan sank about a mile (1.8 kilometers) from Baengnyeong Island, which is about 10 miles (17 kilometers) from North Korea. The Koreas remain in a state of war because their three-year conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, in 1953.

The explosion tore open the rear hull of the Cheonan, shut down its engine, wiped out power and caused the ship to sink a little over three hours later. The ship then broke into two pieces, Defense Ministry officials said Sunday.

Military and coast guard ships and helicopters were searching the chilly waters Sunday.

Rescue ships retrieved about 20 life jackets and 15 safety helmets in waters 7-18 miles (11-29 kilometers) away from the site, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Park Seong-woo said.

The weather conditions had improved from Saturday, but Yonhap news agency said dozens of military divers quickly withdrew due to rapid sea currents. Divers also unsuccessfully tried to reach the wreckage on Saturday.

President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to “thoroughly investigate” the sinking and make their best efforts to rescue any possible survivors.

As hopes faded for the missing crew, about 80 family members aboard a navy patrol boat sailed around the site and watched rescue operations.

“My son! My son!” one crying woman shouted while boarding the ship at a naval base south of Seoul for the journey to the accident area as other relatives wailed in grief.

Officials will only be able to determine the cause of the explosion after the sunken ship is salvaged, a naval officer said Sunday. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department policy, said it is likely to take about a month to salvage a ship of that size.

A survivor, Staff Sgt. Shin Eun-chong, 24, told relatives Saturday that he was on night duty when he heard a huge boom behind him that split apart the ship. The vessel started tilting, and his glasses fell off his face as he hit the deck, relatives told The Associated Press.

Some families also vented anger at the military, accusing authorities of a cover-up and saying survivors told them the Cheonan was leaky and in need of repair. They shouted “Liars!” and jumped on a car carrying the rescued ship captain as it drove away.

As family members scuffled with guards, some soldiers pointed their guns at the protesting relatives.

“I find this gruesome reality — one where soldiers point their guns at heartstricken families of their comrades in arms — absolutely devastating and regrettable,” said Chung Hae-kyung, 65, father of a missing lieutenant.

Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul. Associated Press writers Kwang-tae Kim, Sangwon Yoon and Jean H. Lee in Seoul, and Esther Hong in Pyeongtaek contributed to this report.