HUNGARIAN FERRY DISASTER

[Anchor Lead]

The police in Budapest have said that the investigation into the deadly tourist boat sinking will take considerable time. Identifying the recovered bodies is also facing obstacles as more and more time has elapsed since the accident. We bring you updates from Hungary.

[Pkg]

It's been nearly a month since a tourist boat sank on the Danube River in Hungary, claiming 26 South Korean lives. But local police say the investigation into the cause of the incident is expected to take a substantial amount of time. Tamás Terdik, the chief of police in Budapest, on Monday met with Korean Ambassador to Hungary Choe Kyoo-sik and said that experts in diverse fields were currently conducting a probe based on the evidence collected so far. He said expertise is required in the investigation and that it could take months to get results.

[Soundbite] SOMA CSECSI(SPOKESPERSON FOR BUDAPEST POLICE FORCE(JUN. 18)) : "Analysis by experts requires time and evidence we obtained also needs to be analyzed. So we can't say for now how long it will all take."

The ambassador requested a swift and thorough process in unveiling the truths behind the maritime tragedy. Meanwhile, the identification of an additional body that was recovered, the first in ten days, is progressing slower than expected. DNA testing is under way as it was not feasible to lift fingerprints. However, due to the severe contamination of the body, test results are being delayed and the identification is expected to take longer than the three days initially expected. In a statement on Monday, Hungarian police said that search teams from Korea and Hungary were continuing operations using helicopters, drones and sonar along a 215 kilometer stretch reaching to the border.