Posted on 04/08/2010 7:07:13 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
South Korean sailors who escaped a warship which sank last month have said they felt a large "external blast" before the ship went down.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, the sailors said the ship had been operating normally before it sank off Baengnyeong Island.
Officials in Seoul say they still do not know what happened to the Cheonan, which was carrying 104 crew.
Two of the crew are known to have died, and 44 are still missing.
Officials have said the incident will be thoroughly investigated and have cautioned against speculation that North Korea could be to blame.
The dozens of survivors, many of them wearing hospital clothing, told reporters in Seoul the ship had been on a routine operation before the blast and there had been no indication of any problems.
Sr Chief Petty Officer Oh Seong-tak said his body had been "thrown up in the air" by the blast, which took out the ship's power.
"I was hit by a computer and fainted. When I woke up, it was all dark, I could not see anything. I felt for the the walls, looking for a door, but I could not find the door," he said.
"And then I felt something under my foot and I touched it and realised it was the door at the bottom. That means our ship was inclined at 90 degrees immediately after a big bang sound."
The office said the blast was "likely caused by an external factor rather than an internal explosion or malfunction".
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Sounds like a mine.
I agree. The stern is located in a mud flat
There is enough vessels from both the United States and the South Koreans to ward off any North Korean interlopers.
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