Salvors finally transfer Sewol ferry to land

TIN news:  One week short of the third anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol ferry near Jindo Island, on April 16, 2014, salvage workers successfully completed the final stages of moving the ship onto land at the port of Mokpo, some 410 kilometers southwest of Seoul, from a semisubmersible transport ship, local media report.
The ferry was raised from the bottom of the sea last month and the operation to transfer the it onto land resumed at around 7:30 a.m. on April 11. Specifically,  600 modular transporters were used to move the vessel from the port to land. After that, the vessel was raisen to surface.
Initial plans were to move the ship further onto the dock, however, due to concerns regarding the ship’s structural integrity, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries decided to secure the ferry in its current position. According to the source, the vessel shows a few signs of deterioration, such as the warping or twisting of the hull.
Sewol ferry was carrying 476 people when it went down. Of the 304 who confirmed dead, 250 were students. Once the land transfer operation was complete, preparations for nine passengers who are still missing begun. Nonetheless, officials are still discussing the safest and most effective way for the search.