April 18, 2014 -- Updated 1402 GMT (2202 HKT)
Disgust, anger and shock greeted statements from South Korean
authorities that texts from survivors trapped inside the stricken ferry
were fake. FULL STORY
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ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CAPTAIN: POLICE
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DIVERS SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS
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CAN THEY SURVIVE?
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FERRY UNDERWATER
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CAN THEY SURVIVE?
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FERRY UNDERWATER
South Korea ferry disaster: Fake survivor posts add to nation's anguish
April 18, 2014 -- Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT)
Students texted parents as ferry sank
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Police say messages from 'survivors trapped in ferry' are fake
- South Korea gripped by the tragedy
- Social media full of well-wishers
Messages such as "I am
still alive... in the cafeteria please help me my battery is running out
please believe me," and "My phone is not working I am inside the boat I
can't see anything" were spreading on social media on Thursday -- as
late as over 24 hours after the incident.
The messages gave extra substance to hope at least some of the hundreds of missing passengers were alive and awaiting rescue.
Ferry tragedy: Mother haunted by decision
Photos: South Korean ship sinks
South Korean ferry rescue operation
News and rumors of the
texts circulated around families of the missing. The purported texts
contained so much detail, they made relatives "surprised and excited,"
one mother said earlier this week.
The texts also fueled a
tense atmosphere at Jindo -- where distraught families viewed them as
proof several passengers were alive. This led to remonstrations and the
hurling of objects at authorities, who relatives accused of not doing
enough to save their children.
"An investigation from
the Police Cyber Terror Response Center verified that all texts in
question [from passengers still within the ship] are fake," South Korea police posted on its official Twitter account.
"Please stop such actions
that are causing pain to the families of missing passengers. The
malicious distributors of these texts will be strictly dealt with."
South Korea has been
gripped by this tragedy and the pronouncement of these fake social posts
added to the collective anguish -- especially as social media has been
playing a crucial role in relaying information from the site.
Police successfully put
out a call on social media to find any relatives of a rescued
six-year-old girl who had been on board with her parents and older
brother.
The revelations of fake
posts have added to a growing sense of public confusion, mistrust and
escalating frustration -- particularly among the passengers' relatives
-- over the handling of the search and rescue operations, media coverage
and official releases of information.
Scenario shows what sinking feels like
Outrage grows after ferry sinks
Nationwide grief
Across the country, scheduled festivals, concerts and school field trips are among the events that have been canceled.
TV networks have been carrying the search virtually non-stop since the incident.
All news and top
searched keywords on the main Internet portals remain linked to the
ship, while wishes for good news are flooding social media.
"Hoping everyone will be returned to the arms of their families ... Please be strong. Remembering the SEWOL disaster ..." tweeted Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu.
"All I can hope for is that our friends will return alive ..." tweeted Kim Min Hyuk, a senior at the high school that sent 325 students and 15 teachers on a field trip aboard the ill-fated ferry.
CNN's Madison Park in Jindo contributed to this report.
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