国际英语新闻:Death toll rises to 128 in sunken S.Korean ferry disaster

JINDO, South Korea, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Death toll in South Korean sunken ferry accident rose to 128 on Wednesday morning as hundreds of divers searched inside the submerged vessel.

Seven more bodies were recovered in overnight search operations, raising the death toll to 128, with 174 people still missing.

Search operations repeated a suspension and resumption as tidal currents became faster than forecast overnight.

Waters off Jindo Island, where the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized on April 16, are known as the country's second-fastest currents. Weather forecast said that the currents would slow down for four days through Thursday.

Water temperature was at around 11-12 degrees Celsius in the morning, with waves being as high as 0.5 meters.

Some 550 coast guard, navy and private divers will search inside the submerged vessel, while 212 rescue ships and 34 planes will scour the waters for the missing.