Seoul’s Hangang Bus service got here to an abrupt halt once more when one in all its vessels ran aground 118 meters from Jamsil dock on Friday night. The incident befell lower than two weeks after resuming operations following a monthlong service suspension attributable to repeated breakdowns.
The hybrid-powered ferry, carrying 82 passengers, stopped after hanging the riverbed at 8:15 p.m. All aboard had been safely evacuated inside an hour by hearth and police rescue groups. No accidents had been reported.
Metropolis officers, led by Park Jin-young, head of Future Han River Headquarters, defined that the ferry’s propeller and protecting skeg possible scraped the underside of the riverbed, transferring a shock to the hull.
“The accident occurred near the dock, and most passengers had been seated, minimizing hurt,” Park stated, including that divers shall be deployed to examine the vessel and riverbed for particles or sediment buildup, which can have collected greater than standard attributable to an early dry season and low river move.
Police examine the Hangang Bus vessel stranded within the river close to Jamsil dock in Songpa District, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
The incident occurred alongside the ferry’s common route, which had been dredged and deemed secure.
Metropolis officers confirmed the ferry didn’t deviate from its licensed path, underscoring that the mishap occurred in a supposedly safe a part of the river. Further warnings had emerged earlier within the week on Tuesday, when a rope acquired caught in a Hangang Bus vessel propeller close to Ttukseom, and one other captain reported scraping sounds from the riverbed simply hours earlier than.
Citing security, town instantly suspended all upstream Hangang Bus providers between Jamsil and Hannam Bridge via Tuesday for dredging and particles elimination.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” Park stated, pledging an intensive route overview earlier than reopening providers. Since launching official operations in September, the Hangang Bus service has confronted persistent technical issues and public skepticism concerning security and administration of town’s water-based transit experiment.
The deliberate elimination of the stranded vessel on Sunday was delayed attributable to low water ranges. The vessel stays caught within the river as metropolis officers put together to announce an up to date restoration plan and additional accident investigations later within the day.
In response, the ruling Democratic Get together of Korea known as for a full suspension of the Hangang Bus service, sharply criticizing town authorities for prioritizing publicity over passenger security. The get together urged Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon to apologize and urged town authorities to publish a complete report on the previous 16 security incidents and overhaul emergency procedures.
