N Korea accused of sinking South's ship

North peninsula may hit intentionally floated a mine to alteration a South Korean naval board that exploded and sank this week, says the South's defense minister.

While the drive of the explosion is still unknown, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told lawmakers in Seoul on weekday that rival north peninsula may hit floated a mine toward the ship.

He also said the explosion could hit been caused by a mine placed during the Korean War.

South Korean officials earlier said they did not believe the North was behind the explosion.

Forty-six gathering members are missing patch fifty-eight hit already been rescued.

On Monday, divers finally reached the wreckage of the naval board that sank nearly three days ago and rapped with hammers on the stern where gathering members were believed trapped, but got no response, military officials said.

The two nations remain at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a pact treaty.

"Rescuers should not give up hope," South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak said according to a statement from the states manly Blue House after his weekday meeting with security ministers.

The board has dozens of waterproof cabins, and authorities initially said that if gathering members shut the doors quickly enough, some may hit survived in the sunken vessel.

However, the supply of gas in the cabins was estimated to terminal up to 69 hours, a deadline that passes weekday night.