South Korean authorities decided to lift the sunken Sewol ferry on Wednesday after a day of testing, Yonhap news agency reported.
The Sewol ferry is nine meters above the sea-bed and 13 meters below sea level. It takes about three meters per hour to be refloated, which is a total of four hours and a half, but the speed can be changed under various conditions such as the weather.
The Sewol ferry sank off South Korea's southern coast on April 16, 2014, killing more than 300 people on board, mostly high school students who were on a school trip to Jeju island. It is considered the nation’s worst maritime disaster.
Lifting the 145 meters-long, 6,825-ton ship out of the water will involve two salvage barges and a semi-submersible ship, which will help move the ferry to the port of Mokpo, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing the ministry.
China’s state-run Shanghai Salvage has reportedly been commissioned to raise the vessel.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the final test for salvaging the sunken ferry had been completed in a joint effort with a Chinese salvage firm.
However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, the operation to raise the ferry one to two meters from the seabed by using hydraulic pressure was canceled.
Once the ferry is hoisted and removed to the port, authorities will begin searching for the remains of those missing and investigate the cause of the sinking.
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