Military divers have searched in vain for 46 marines missing since a South Korean ship exploded and sank near the maritime border with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Relatives of some of the 46 missing navy sailors of the sunken ship Cheonan weep at a navy base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul March 27, 2010.

The exact cause of the explosion was unclear, but DPRK did not appear to be to blame.

Families voiced their anger Saturday as hopes faded for the missing crew in one of Republic of Korea (ROK)’s worst naval disasters.

Divers tried twice to get to the wreckage, Rear Adm. Lee Ki-sik of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told lawmakers.

The explosion late Friday tore open the rear hull of the Cheonan, shut down its engine, wiped out power and caused the ship to sink a little over three hours later, the Joint Chiefs said.

A survivor, Staff Sgt. Shin Eun-chong, 24, told relatives he was on night duty when he heard a huge boom behind him that split apart the ship. The vessel started tilting, and his glasses fell off his face as he hit the deck, relatives at a naval base in Pyeongtaek told The Associated Press.

Military planes and boats searched the waters near ROK’s Baengnyeong Island where the 1,200-ton Cheonan had been on a routine patrol. Rescue efforts Saturday were hampered by fierce waves and high winds.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet