Local reports cited Korean authorities as confirming that 368 people have been rescued, and two have died. One body had been recovered from the ferry while another person is reported to have died after being rescued.
Reports have suggested that some of those rescued were picked up by nearby commercial vessels.
The 6,825-tonne ferry Sewol, bound for the southern resort island of Jeju, tilted over 45 degrees on the port side before it became fully capsized with only its stern visible.
“We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped. The boat is tiling and we have to hold on to something to stay seated,” a passenger told the YTN news channel.
Lee Gyeong-og, South Korea's vice minister of security and public administration, said a total of 34 naval, coast guard and civilian vessels were involved in the rescue operation, along with 18 helicopters.
The ferry had sailed out of the western port of Incheon on Tuesday evening but ran into trouble some 20 kilometres off the island of Byungpoong.
Click here to read the latest updates on the ferry sinking accident.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.
