Prosecutor says 4 more crewmembers detained over ferry sinking
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A South Korean Navy Seal member looks at the water while working to rescue missing passengers believed to have been trapped in the sunken ferry Sewol near the buoys which were installed to mark the vessel in the water off the southern coast near Jindo, south of Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, April 20, 2014. After more than three days of frustration and failure, divers on Sunday finally found a way into the submerged ferry off South Korea's southern shore, discovering more than a dozen bodies inside the ship and pushing the confirmed death toll to over four dozen, officials said. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) (The Associated Press)
A South Korean prosecutor says four more crewmembers from a sunken ferry have been detained on allegations of failing to protect passengers.
Senior prosecutor Ahn Sang-don told reporters Monday that two first mates, one second mate and a chief engineer are also accused of abandoning the ship.
Ahn says prosecutors are considering whether to ask a court for a formal arrest warrant that would allow for a longer period of investigation. South Koreans can only be detained for 48 hours without a court-issued formal arrest warrant.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The ferry's captain and two other crewmembers were previously formally arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.
Sixty-four bodies have been recovered, and about 240 people are still missing.