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``Crew Members Closed the Exit of Net Storage``

Posted October. 10, 2001 08:55,   

한국어

The maritime police in Yosu, Jeonham, who are investigating the case of water burial of 25 Chinese, who tried illegal entry, found out yesterday that the Taechangho crew members drove the Chinese people into the net storage and closed the exit with fishing implements and nets, causing them suffocation.

The maritime police announced that the Taechangho crew members sealed up the exit of next storage following the order of the captain Lee (43) at seas 12 miles south-west of Yosu Island, Wando-kun, Jeonnam, around 10am on 7th, and covered the exit with the 1ton of fishing implements to prevent the Chinese people from coming out from the storage. The police said that the Chinese people were assumed to have been suffocated in three hours.

According to the maritime police, the crew members confirmed the death of 25 people in the net storage in the afternoon, moved them into the deck with the help of other illegal entrants, and left there covering them with blankets. Then, they dumped the bodies at seas south of Yosu Sori Island.

The maritime police issued an order to search for Mr. Yo (52), who ordered the captain Lee to dump the dead bodies into sea, and arrested 8 crew members including the captain Lee. While the maritime police reported the list of surviving illegal entrants to the Chinese government, it also handed over 35 arrested illegal entrants to the Yosu Immigration Bureau in charge of violation of the Immigration Control Law.

The maritime police identified 22 out of 25 dead Chinese people, and searched the sea nearby Sori Island with 6 patrol boats for two days.



Jung Seung-Ho shjung@donga.com