The Chinese embassy in Seoul confirmed Thursday that two Chinese citizens were on board the capsized South Korean ship, but it was still seeking clarification from South Korean authorities.
Two of the passengers aboard the ill-fated ship from the western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju were confirmed to be Chinese nationals, an official with the Chinese embassy said.
But the South Korean coast guard could not identify them by checking the personal information passengers provided while purchasing tickets, and the Chinese embassy requested South Korean authorities to further examine the lead, the official added.
Meanwhile, a Xinhua correspondent learned that the relatives of the two passengers claimed to have seen them get aboard the ship with a vehicel in security camera footage.
According to local regulations, passengers with a vehicle could board the ship by only registering the plate number, instead of giving their personal information, which might explain why South Korean authorities failed to find the information of the two Chinese passengers.
A passenger ship carrying 475 people, mostly high school students, capsized in waters off South Korea's southwest coast Wednesday, leaving at least seven people dead and 289 others missing, local media reported Thursday.
Passenger ship sinks off S Korean coast
2014-04-16S Korea rescue for sinking ferry
2014-04-16Copyright ©1999-2018
Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.