South Korean prosecutors are looking into allegations that the ferry that capsized last week was overloaded with cargo, as part of broader investigations into the cause of the tragic accident that left nearly 170 people dead and more than 130 still missing.
A document released by an opposition lawmaker this week showed that the Sewol was carrying more than three times its recommended maximum cargo, destabilising it when it made a sharp turn in waters 20 km off the country’s southwestern coast.
“We are accelerating our questioning of the ship’s crew over its possible overloading of cargo, a lack of equipment to fasten cargo and some of the alleged malfunction of the ship,” said Yang Jung-jin, one of the prosecutors leading the probe. “Various factors combined seem to have caused the ship’s sinking although we have to refer to further evaluation by experts.”