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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Chief investigator: 'external explosion' as likely cause of Cheonan sinking |
| 2010-04-17 |
| SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) -- An "external explosion" is likely to have caused a South Korean naval ship to sink near the sea border with North Korea, a chief investigator said Friday after experts examined the ship's wreckage retrieved a day earlier. "Rather than an internal explosion, the possibility of an external explosion is very high," said Yoon Duk-yong, co-head of the state investigation team looking into the March 26 sinking of the 1,200-ton patrol ship Cheonan. "But for a final conclusion, it is necessary to make a detailed analysis while leaving all possibilities open." The assessment appears to bolster suspicions of a torpedo or sea mine explosion and North Korea's possible involvement in the disaster, considered the worst in South Korea's naval history with dozens of deaths. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said South Korea sees the sinking as "a grave national security issue." "As soon as the investigation result comes out, we will make it public without leaving a dot of suspicion and work out the next step in a clear and stern manner," he said in an address to the nation. Yoon, a renowned scientist named to lead the investigation along with a military general, said that other possibilities, such as an internal blast, a collision with a reef or "metal fatigue" in the ship, are low. "A strong force was applied to the left side of the ship, leaving the hull and iron sheets curved inward," Yoon, the chief investigator, told reporters. "This kind of destruction is caused by an external explosion. That's the judgment from experts." Yoon said experts are also looking into the possibility of a blast occurring near the hull. He was apparently referring to what is known as the "bubble jet effect," a powerful water pillar created when a torpedo or sea mine blows up under the water near a ship without striking it. Such a pillar, created due to the difference in pressure, is so powerful that it can tear a ship apart, experts say. Yoon said the possibility of an internal explosion is "very low," saying the ship's ammunition room, its fuel tank and the diesel engine room were not damaged. Also, there were no signs of a fire in the ship's gas turbine room, and the covering of electric wires was fine, he said. The possibility of a collision with a reef is also low because there are no undersea obstacles in the area, and the ship's bottom has no signs of being ripped off, Yoon said. The ship's severed side is also severely deformed, suggesting that the breaking was not because of metal fatigue, he said. Yoon said a final conclusion may not come early as evidence gathering could take some time. Carrying the wreckage, a 3,000-ton barge, hauled by two tug boats, began to move at around 10 p.m toward a naval base in Pyeongtaek for investigation. The 240-km transport is expected to take about 26 hours, military officials said. The ship's bow still remains under water, with salvage workers working to tie chains around the wreckage so that a crane can begin to retrieve it. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, two elements that combine explosively. And we know reactions speed up under hotter conditions - around 2X for every 10 degrees C, IIRC. This sounds like yet another tragic effect of global warming to me. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2010-04-17 15:44 |
| #1 So an "external explosion" did it? Pyrotechnic barnacles? Got rammed by suicide dolphins? |
| Posted by: Unemble Sinatra8383 2010-04-17 14:01 |