Inqanawa yabakhenkethi ethwele abantu abangaphezu kwe-470, uninzi lwabafundi bezikolo eziphakamileyo, yatshona kunxweme olusemazantsi e-Korea ngolwe-Lwesithathu, ishiya ubuncinci abantu ababini, kubandakanya umfundi omnye, bebhubhile kunye nabanye abamalunga nama-290 belahlekile.

Urhulumente waseKorea ngaphambili wabhengeza ukuba kuhlangulwe abantu abangama-368, kodwa amagosa kamva avuma ukuba kukho impazamo ekubaleni amanani. Bangaphezu kwama-290 abantu abasele bengachazwanga, batsho.

Kwakukho uloyiko, nangona kunjalo, lokutsiba okukhulu kwabantu ababhubhileyo, njengoko uninzi lwezikhephe, iihelikopta kunye nabantu abahlukahlukeneyo bagxalathelana ukuhlangula abakhweli ababekhwele isikhephe besiya kwisiqithi sabakhenkethi esisemazantsi eJeju. Omnye umkhweli uthe ukholelwa ukuba abantu abaninzi babevaleleke ngaphakathi kwesikhephe xa sisika.

Amagosa onogada baseNxwemeni, ethetha ngemiqathango yokungadumi amagama echaza imithetho yesebe, athi babili abantu ababhubhileyo kwaye abangama-293 abaziwayo, kodwa abakhange banike iinkcukacha ezithe vetshe, kuquka nokuba yintoni ebangele ukuba isikhephe sizike. Uqikelelo olusemthethweni lwabalahlekileyo, abaswelekileyo kunye nenani labakhweli enqanaweni lahluka ngokugqithisileyo njengoko kwakuqhubeka uphando. Igosa likarhulumente lalikhe lathi bangaphezu kwekhulu abantu abangaziwayo, kodwa amagosa kamva anyusa inani laya kutsho kuma-100 abalahlekileyo emva koko balitshintsha laba ngama-295.

Iifoto zemidiya zibonise abafundi abamanzi, abanye bengenazihlangu, abanye besongelwe ngeengubo, benyanyekelwa ngabasebenzi bakaxakeka. Omnye umfundi, uLim Hyung-min, uxelele umsasazi u-YTN ophuma kwindawo yokwenza umthambo kwisiqithi esikufuphi ukuba yena nabanye abafundi batsibela elwandle benxibe iibhatyi zobomi emva koko baqubha ukuya kwiphenyane lokuhlangula elikufutshane.

Ubushushu bamanzi kule ndawo babumalunga ne-12 degrees Celsius (54 Fahrenheit), kubanda ngokwaneleyo ukuba kubangele iimpawu ze-hypothermia emva kwemizuzu engama-90 okanye iiyure ezi-2, ngokutsho kwegosa likaxakeka elithetha ngemeko yokungaziwa lichaza imithetho yesebe. Amagosa athi udaka oluphantsi kolwandle lwenza umsebenzi wokukhangela ngaphantsi kwamanzi ube nzima. Inqanawa yatshona emanzini iikhilomitha ezininzi (iikhilomitha) emantla eSiqithi saseByeongpung, esikufuphi nelizwe kunye neekhilomitha ezingama-470 (iikhilomitha ezingama-290) ukusuka eSeoul, ngokutsho komlindi wonxweme.

INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:

There were fears, however, of a big jump in the death toll, as dozens of boats, helicopters and divers scrambled to rescue passengers who had been on the ferry traveling to the southern tourist island of Jeju.
The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius (54 Fahrenheit), cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes or 2 hours, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules.
One student, Lim Hyung-min, told broadcaster YTN from a gym on a nearby island that he and other students jumped into the ocean wearing life jackets and then swam to a nearby rescue boat.