Iran offers condolences over S Korean ferry crash

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has extended its condolences to the South Korean government and nation over the deadly sinking of a ferry.

In a statement issued on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham voiced great sorrow at the tragic maritime accident that led to the death of dozens of South Korean citizens, mostly high school students.

She also offered Tehran’s deepest sympathy to the families of the victims.

Sewol, the 6,825-ton ferry, abruptly listed and then sank on Wednesday.

Based on data provided by South Korea’s Maritime Ministry, the ferry made a sharp turn just before sending out its first distress signals. Some experts believe a tight turn could have displaced its cargo and destabilized the ferry.

So far, 28 passengers are officially listed as dead, 179 have been rescued and 268 others are still missing.

Teams of divers are striving to find a way inside the capsized ship in hope of finding survivors trapped in air pockets, amid challenging weather conditions.

Meanwhile, South Korean prosecutors sought arrest warrants for the captain and two crew members of the ferry.

The request for the arrest of Lee Joon-seok and the crew members was sent to a local court, an official in the southern coast guard headquarters in the city of Mokpo said on Friday.

“The joint investigation team of police and prosecutors asked for warrants to arrest three crew members, including the captain,” the official stated.

The captain and most of the 28-member crew reportedly managed to abandon the South Korean passenger ship when so many people were still trapped onboard.

Reports show a junior officer and not the captain was at the helm of the ferry when the deadly accident occurred.