Survivors say external blast sank S Korean warship

Survivors said a huge blast from outside tore a South Korean warship apart near the tense North Korean border.

Survivors said on Wednesday a huge blast from outside tore a South Korean warship apart near the tense North Korean border,discounting theories that an explosion on board or a grounding sank the vessel.

US and South Korean teams are preparing to lift the shattered hull sections from the bed of the Yellow Sea in search of clues to the disaster which left 46 sailors dead 12 days ago.

The disputed border area was the scene of deadly naval clashes between the North and South in 1999 and 2002 and a firefight last November.

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Seoul’s defence minister has raised the possibility that a mine or torpedo may have sunk the 1,200-tonne corvette Cheonan,reportedly earning a rebuke from the presidential office over his speculation.

The 58 survivors of the blast had been kept under wraps at a military hospital just south of Seoul.

But they appeared in hospital pyjamas at a televised press conference today as the government tried to rebut claims of a cover-up.

Crewmen described a desperate struggle to escape the stricken ship as they were plunged into darkness.

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“I was preparing to report for duty when there was a sound of an explosion which hurt my ears and I was thrown in the air,” said Senior Petty Officer Oh Seung-Tak.

“Power was immediately cut. I was hit in the face by a flying computer and lost consciousness momentarily. When I regained my senses,everything was dark.”