High waves have compelled salvage crews to delay the operation to elevate the sunken Sewol ferry in South Korea till later this month.

The lifting of vessel kicked off Sunday afternoon however by Monday excessive waves and wind compelled the suspension of operations earlier than lifting beams for use to boost the vessel might be inserted into place.

According to the South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, salvors have been capable of elevate the bow part from the seabed by a number of meters however bobbing from the waves precipitated the cables to chop into the wreck, forcing the operation to be suspended.

The Ministry stated that lifting operations might be postponed by as many as 10 days.

The Sewol ferry sank off the South Korea’s Jindo island on April 16, 2014, killing 304 folks, principally highschool college students on a discipline journey, in South Korea’s worst maritime catastrophe in many years. The our bodies of 9 victims have nonetheless not been recovered.

The salvage undertaking is being carried out by a consortium led by Shanghai Salvage, which was awarded the $74 million contract in August 2015.

The plan requires the ferry, mendacity at a depth of 44 meters, to be partially raised utilizing airbags and moved onto a metal lifting beams, which is able to then lifted to the floor by a crane. Officials are holding out hope that the vessel will be raised to the floor in a single piece, relatively than reduce up and lifted.

The lifting operations are anticipated to final by the summer time.