Four persons were killed and more than 280 people, many of them students from a high school, were missing after a ferry capsized off South Korea on Wednesday.
The ferry was carrying 462 people, of whom 174 have been rescued, said coastguard officials. Four people were confirmed dead, but as frantic rescue operations continued late into the night, hopes were fading for the 284 unaccounted for.
It was not immediately clear how the ferry capsized in apparently calm conditions off South Korea's southwest coast, but some survivors spoke of a loud noise prior to the disaster.
“It was fine. Then the ship went 'boom' and there was a noise of cargo falling,” said Cha Eun-ok, who was on the deck of the ferry taking photographs at the time. “The on-board announcement told people to stay put... people who stayed are trapped,” she said in Jindo, the nearest town to the accident scene.
The families of those still missing faced agonising uncertainty as divers searching for those trapped in the largely submerged ship were forced to suspend their work until daybreak.
Reuters
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