As the death toll from South Korea’s ferry disaster continues to rise -- it was reported at 64 as of Monday morning -- the country’s president has spoken out against the actions of the captain and crew.
"The actions of the captain and some crew members were utterly incomprehensible, unacceptable and tantamount to murder," President Park Geun-hye said, Al Jazeera reported.
Prosecutors said police took four more crew members into custody on Monday as part of an investigation alleging they failed to protect passengers aboard the ferry. That brings the total of those in custody to seven.
Over the weekend, the South Korean coast guard released a chilling transcript between traffic officials and crew, revealing the chaos as the ship began to sink. Most of the passengers followed the captain’s instructions to stay in their rooms -- and most never heard the subsequent evacuation notice that came more than 30 minutes later.
While passengers were waiting for orders, the captain and other crew members were among the first to be rescued.
Geun-hye said the ship's crew unnecessarily delayed the evacuation and all responsible for the tragedy should be held "criminally accountable."
More than 230 passengers are still missing, most of whom are high school students.