A Familiar Route, Yet a Ferry with 267 Passengers Ran Aground... Korea Coast Guard Launches Investigation

[Financial News] The Queen Jenuvia II, a large 26,000-ton car ferry that ran aground on an uninhabited island in Sinan County, returned to a nearby port about nine hours after the incident. The Korea Coast Guard (KCG) has launched a full investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
According to the KCG on the 20th, the Queen Jenuvia II, which ran aground at Jokdo (an uninhabited island) in Jangsan-myeon, Sinan County, was freed from the situation by four tugboats dispatched by Sea World Express Ferry. The operation was timed with high tide, using ropes tied to the stern to pull the vessel free.
Although the vessel was stranded with its hull perched on the island’s edge, there were no holes or water leaks, allowing it to move under its own power.
To enable the ferry to move on its own, 21 crew members remained on board to manage the situation instead of boarding the KCG rescue boat.
The ferry began moving by itself and safely arrived at Samhak Pier in Mokpo at 5:44 a.m., 9 hours and 27 minutes after the accident, without any secondary incidents.
The KCG suspects the accident may have been caused by negligence on the part of the captain or navigator. Authorities have secured closed-circuit (CC) TV footage and voyage data recorders from inside and outside the vessel to investigate the precise circumstances.
On the previous day at around 4:45 p.m., the Queen Jenuvia II departed Jeju Island carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members, totaling 267 people. At 8:17 p.m. the same day, the vessel ran aground near Jokdo, south of Jangsan-do in Sinan County.
All passengers were safely rescued, though some experienced minor pain or nervous exhaustion from the shock of the grounding and were transported to the hospital.


[email protected] Jung Ji-woo Reporter