South Korea Raises Second Half of Sunken Warship |
April 24, 2010 |
Staff Writer |
South Korea's military has recovered the remaining section of a warship that sank last month after an explosion that a media report blames on North Korea. Salvage teams raised the stern of the 1,200-ton vessel Cheonan with a large crane Saturday. A body was found inside the recovered section, bringing the official death toll to 40. Six sailors remain missing and are believed dead. The coast guard rescued 58 crew members from waters near the blast site. There were 104 sailors on board the ship when it exploded and sank March 26, during a regular patrol in the waters near the disputed border with North Korea. Some media reports suggest that the ship was attacked with a torpedo from a North Korean vessel. Pyongyang has denied any involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan. Investigators say there is evidence that the ship exploded because of a strong impact from the outside. Seoul has refrained from blaming Pyongyang for the incident until its experts carry out a thorough investigation. The United States has offered to help with the effort. North Korea Saturday warned the United States and South Korea that it will employ "all means, including the nuclear deterrent" if they intrude into its territory. The state-run Korean central News Agency quotes army chief Ri Yong Ho as saying North Korea's armed forces are "fully ready to frustrate any provocation of the aggressors at a single blow."U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday urged Pyongyang not to "engage in provocative actions," and said she hopes there is no "miscalculation" or action that could lead to conflict. North Korea last year abandoned six-nation talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear arm programs in exchange for aid and energy. * Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters |