SEOUL, November 16 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Sunday instructed city officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of an accident involving a water ferry service along the Han River.
His instruction came a day after one of the boats stalled near a dock in Jamsil, southern Seoul, while passing through shallow waters. Although there were no casualties or injuries, all 82 passengers aboard were frightened before being safely rescued.
Stressed the need to reassess the ferry service, he advised the city government to promptly conduct safety checks and consider extending temporary suspensions if necessary to ensure passengers' safety.
Kim also called for improvement to response systems to ensure passenger safety in any emergency or accident.
Dubbed the "Hangang Bus," the ferry service, a pet project of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, suffered disruptions due to technical glitches shortly after its bombastic launch in mid-September. It recently resumed operations after a month-long inspection, but was hit by another accident, reigniting criticism.
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