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The death toll¹ from the South Korean ferry disaster has risen sharply to 87, with 215 passengers still unaccounted for. Among the bodies retrieved² on Monday were 3 foreign nationals, including 2 Chinese who were identified by their ID cards.

Rescuers aid people on board a sinking South Korean passenger ship in water off the southern coast in South Korea, April 16, 2014. 

Rescuers aid people on board a sinking South Korean passenger ship in water

off the southern coast in South Korea, April 16, 2014.

One Chinese victim was found in waters where the ferry sank, the other was recovered inside the ship. The Chinese embassy has confirmed that four Chinese nationals - two men and two women - were on board the ill-fated ferry. The two female Chinese passengers remain officially missing. The identity of the third foreign national has yet to be confirmed, although the South Korean Coast Guard earlier said a Russian student was on board the ship.

Over 200 boats and around 30 planes took part in Monday’s 24-hour search operation. Criticism from the relatives of the passengers has been growing. Many have accused the government of inefficiency³ in its handling of the situation, and say that more lives could have been saved. 

Almost a week after one the country’s biggest maritime⁴ disasters, the South Korean government is facing a growing crisis. Fierce criticism from the families of those passengers that went down with the ship and a torrent⁵ of allegations it is mishandling the rescue and recovery operation.

"The government are just pretending to work. But it’s just a show. And the media just play their game. This is a one hundred percent man-made disaster. If the government acted quicker, all the children would have been saved." Mother of missing passenger Im Seon-Mi said. 

Adding insult to injury a promotional video has been uncovered featuring the - now under arrested ferry Captain - talking-up the safety aspects of the vessel⁶.

"If passengers follow the instructions of our crew members, I think this vessel is safer than any other transportation means." South Korean captain of capsized ferry Lee Joon-Seok said. 

And it’s the instructions of the boat’s crew that is now the focus of intense scrutiny⁷. It’s emerged that despite repeated calls from land-based vessel controllers to order the evacuation of passengers crew members dithered. At one point saying.

"If this ferry evacuates⁹ passengers, will they be rescued right away?"

The country’s president has weighed-in condemning¹⁰ the lack of action of the crew saying it was tantamount to murder and promising¹¹ firm action.

"The action of the captain and some of the crewmen was incomprehensible from a common-sense point of view and it was like an act of murder that must not be tolerated." South Korean president Park Guen-Hye said. 

Grieving relatives have attempted to march on the capital demanding to see President Park Guen-Hye in person. Shouting "government is the killer¹²" Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, tried to apologize, only to be met by angry crowds, at one point a water bottle was thrown at him.

"I had hope. But I have mixed emotions and am feeling heavy-hearted now. Even if there is air, he won’t have been eating or drinking anything for six days. I wonder if he can possibly be still alive in this condition." Sister of missing passenger Kim Ha-Na said. 

The Korean government is trying to save face making a number of annoucenments, including declaring Jindo and Ansan  “special disaster zones”. This will allow central and provincial¹³ governments to offer financial help to the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, prosecutors¹⁴ have announced the arrest of four more crew members on charges of abandoning the ship and neglecting their duty to safely evacuate⁸ the passengers.

Many experts here in the Korean capital say it will be hard for President Park Guen-Hye’s government to recover the people’s trust. With the search, recovery and salvage¹⁵ operation likley to take months people will be constantly reminded of the tragedy and the anger of the relatives will not be easlily calmed, save for a prompt and thorough investigation¹⁶ into what went wrong and proper prosecution¹⁷ of those found to be at fault.