46 Missing as South Korean Warship Sinks, Rescue Operations Going On
In a tragic turn of events, a South Korean naval vessel carrying 104 crew members sank off the west coast of the Korean peninsula late Friday. The cause of the sinking is still not known.
Initially as the news broke, there were speculations that it happened because of possible attacks from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) but soon the speculations died as authorities investigated the incident.
The 1,200-ton warship named Cheonan sank off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo, which is located near the disputed maritime border between South Korea and the DPRK, after an alleged explosion in the back of the ship caused a hole in the bottom.
Presidential office spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters earlier, "The President instructed the Armed Forces authorities to do all they can to rescue as many survivors as possible. At the same time, he said the authorities concerned should find out what exactly transpired in the incident in a speedy and thorough manner, considering all possibilities."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that no deaths have been reported yet. 13 injured crew members were taken to hospital but nothing critical.
