06/05/2014 10:12
Civilian diver dies in South Korea ferry search
A civilian diver searching for bodies in the South Korean ferry that sank last month has died, the BBC reported, citing authorities.
Officials said the 53-year-old, known only by his surname Lee, became unconscious and later died in hospital.
He is the first fatality among divers searching the Sewol ferry, which sank on 16 April with 476 people on board.
Only 174 people survived, with many trapped inside the vessel. So far the disaster has claimed 262 lives, with 40 others missing.
State news agency Yonhap reported that Mr Lee was a veteran crew member of Undine Marine Industries, which specialises in maritime engineering and rescue work.
He had lost consciousness shortly after diving into waters 25m deep in the early hours of Tuesday.
Fellow divers lost communication with him five minutes into his dive and later pulled him to the surface. It was his first search attempt in the Sewol, according to the authorities.
Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has since ordered government officials overseeing the rescue operation to thoroughly check divers' health conditions.
Divers have been battling bad weather and fast currents to retrieve bodies over the past three weeks. Inside the ferry, they must also navigate floating debris and the maze of corridors, reports say.