Four dead, 291 missing in S Korea ferry sinking

FE Team | Published: April 17, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The photo, taken at sea some 20 kilometres off the island of Byungpoong in Jindo Wednesday, shows South Korean Coast Guard members in helicopters trying to rescue some of the 477 passengers and crew aboard a ferry that capsized on its way to Jeju Island f

JINDO (South Korea), April 16 (AFP): South Korean rescuers, including elite navy SEAL divers, worked frantically under floodlights Wednesday to find nearly 300 people missing after a ferry sank with 459 on board, mostly high school students bound for a holiday island.
Lee Gyeong-Og, the vice minister of security and public administration, said 164 people had been rescued, leaving 291 "unaccounted for". There were four confirmed deaths, including a female crew member and a student.
There are fears the confirmed death toll could rise sharply. The 6,825-tonne Sewol listed violently, capsized and finally sank-all within two hours of sending a distress signal at 9:00am (0000 GMT).