(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Search and rescue teams intensified their efforts off South Korea's southern coast Monday to find eight missing people believed to have been aboard a chartered vessel when it capsized over the weekend.
The 9.77-ton Dolphin had been hired by a local fishing club before losing contact in rough seas Saturday evening - three survivors were brought to safety after the boat was found at around 6:30 a.m. (2130GMT) Sunday.
Ten people were already confirmed dead amid confusion over who exactly was on the vessel, as the passenger list was found to be inaccurate.
While an investigation has begun into how the Dolphin was able to overturn "in an instant," according to one survivor, the government announced that around 70 official and private vessels and 20 divers had been mobilized to scour the area.
Weather conditions continued to make the operation challenging, with waves reaching as high as three meters.
Safety questions were also being raised less than a year and a half after the sinking of South Korea's Sewol ferry, which claimed more than 300 lives.
Early reports suggested that the Dolphin had not undergone a full safety check for eight years.
Other similarities with the Sewol included an apparently insufficient rescue response, given the hours that passed before officials were able to locate the upturned Dolphin.
Seoul's latest parliamentary session was overshadowed by the issue, as both main rival parties raised doubts about maritime transport security, despite the government's post-Sewol creation of a public safety ministry.
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