'It was fine then the ship went BOOM': Passengers describe terrifying moment massive ferry starting sinking off South Korea leaving at least four dead and 300 unaccounted for
"LOUD IMPACT" The ferry began to list badly about 20 km (12 miles) off the southwest coast as it headed for Jeju. A member of the crew of a local government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the sunken ferry's crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was likely to be some sort of malfunction on the vessel. There were reports of the ferry having veered off its course, but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane. Several survivors spoke of hearing a "loud impact" before the ship started listing and rolling on its side. Within a couple of hours, the Sewol was lying on its port side. Soon after, it had completely turned over, with only the forward part of its white and blue hull showing above the water. Coastguard vessels and private fishing boats scrambled to the rescue with television footage showing rescuers and fishermen pulling passengers in life vests out of the water as their boats bobbed beside the ferry's hull. Other passengers were winched to safety by helicopters. The ferry left from the port of Incheon, about 30 km (20 miles) west of Seoul, late on Tuesday. It sent a distress signal early on Wednesday, the coastguard said, triggering a rescue operation that involved almost 100 coastguard and navy vessels and fishing boats, as well as 18 helicopters. A U.S. navy ship was at the scene to help, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said, adding it was ready to offer more assistance. But according to a coast guard official in Jindo, the waters where the ferry capsized have some of the strongest tides of any off South Korea's coast, meaning divers were prevented from entering the mostly submerged ship for several hours. The area of the accident was clear of fog, unlike further north up the coast, which had been shrouded in heavy fog that led to the cancellation of many ferry services. One of the four people confirmed to have died was a student on the school trip. The ship has a capacity of about 900 people, an overall length of 146 meters (480 feet) and it weighs 6,586 gross tonnes. Shipping records show it was built in Japan in 1994. According to public shipping databases, the registered owner of the ship is Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd, based in Incheon. Reuters was unable to reach the company by telephone, although calls were made outside normal office hours. Earlier, company officials offered an apology over the accident but declined to comment further. The databases showed that Chonghaejin Marine Co Ltd became the owner of the vessel in October, 2012. In 1993, the Seohae ferry sank, and 292 of the 362 passengers on board perished. At least four people have been killed and more than 300 are still missing after a ferry carrying mostly schoolchildren sank off of South Korea. Emergency services have managed to save 164 people from the submerged boat, but officials fear hundreds could still be trapped inside. Dozens of boats, helicopters and divers scrambled to rescue more than 470 people were were aboard the 6,825-ton ferry in what emergency services are calling the country's biggest peacetime disaster in 20 years. The South Korean Coast Guard, who say 55 people have been injured, fear the number of casualties could rise 'drastically' as they continue to drag passengers out of the water and try to locate people who were still inside the boat when it sank. The ferry was sailing to the southern island of Jeju when it sent a distress call Wednesday morning after it began leaning to one side, according to the Ministry of Security and Public Administration. Coast guard footage showed the vessel submerged with only its bow visible 12 miles from Byeongpoong island off the southwest corner of the Korean peninsula. The government said about 95 per cent of the ship was submerged.
+68 Terrifying: The South Korean ferry dangerously listed to one side while on its way to Jeju island about 100km south of the Korean peninsula
+68 Helicopters approach the ferry to help rescue the 476 passengers and crew after the vessel sank on on its way to Jeju island in South Korea
+68 Drama: Members of the South Korea Coast Guard rescue passengers and crew as the ferry lists perilously to one side The Ministry of Security and Public Administration named 27-year-old woman Park Ji-yeong, a female employee of the boat operator and high school student Jeong Cha Woong as the victims, according to Bloomberg. As well the passengers, there were 150 vehicles on board the ferry Sewol, officials said. Witnesses said many people were likely still inside the vessel. An official from the Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, had earlier said all of its 338 students and teachers had been rescued, but that figure could not be confirmed by the coastguard as the search effort continued. The cause of the disaster was not immediately clear although some survivors reported that the ship appeared to have been involved in some sort of impact. 'It was fine then the ship went 'boom' and there was a noise of cargo falling,' said Cha Eun-ok, who was on deck of the ferry taking photographs when the disaster began. 'The on-board announcement told people to stay put ... people who stayed are trapped,' she said in Jindo, the nearest town from the scene of the accident. A member of the crew of a government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the sunken ferry's crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was likely some sort of malfunction on the vessel.
+68 A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and navy divers were sent to the area, a vice minister for South Korea's Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a news conference
+68 Local media ran terrifying photos showing the partially submerged ferry tilting dramatically as helicopters flew overhead and rescue vessels floated nearby
+68 Rescue mission: Around 12 miles off the island of Byungpoong in Jindo, Coast Guard members search near the sunken ferry
+68 Engulfed: Hundreds of passengers are still believed to be trapped inside the boat, most of which is now under water
+68 Trapped: Passengers wait for help inside a cabin of the ship. Officials said 95 per cent of the vessel was submerged There were reports of the ferry having veered off its course but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane. Several survivors spoke of hearing a 'loud impact' before the ship started listing and rolling on its side. Within a couple of hours, the Sewol lying on its port side. Soon after, the ship had completely turned over, with only the forward part of its white and blue hull showing above the water. Coastguard vessels and fishing boats scrambled to the rescue with television footage showing rescuers pulling passengers in life vests out of the water as their boats bobbed beside the ferry's hull. Other passengers were winched to safety by helicopters. A student, Lim Hyung-min, told broadcaster YTN from a gym on a nearby island that he jumped into the ocean wearing a life jacket with other students and then swam to a nearby rescue boat. 'As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another,' Lim said, adding that some people were bleeding. Once he jumped, the ocean 'was so cold. ... I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live.'
+68 Gathering: Dozens of boats, including fishing vessels, travel towards the ferry (bottom right) which is almost completely submerged
+68 Turning: Debris is scattered and left floating on the surface as the ferry's deck continues to be engulfed by water
+68 Side: Rescue teams approach the sunken vessel in an attempt to pull passengers to safety and take them back to land
+68 Bleak: The effort to find the 300 missing passengers is becoming more difficult as the ferry continues to sink
+68 Containers spill out into the water as vessels join the rescue effort, which has been going on for several hours
+68 Protection: A young girl is wrapped up in a blanket after being rescued by South Korean maritime policemen from the sinking vessel
+68 Passengers in life jackets swim towards rescue boats as they are pulled from the ferry 15miles off the island of Byungpoong
+68 A group of rescue boats and fishing vessels approach the sunken ferry as they try to rescue passengers who have been stuck on board for several hours
+68 Warmth: Survivors are covered in blankets as they are taken off rescue vessels and led to safety on the shore. A total of 164 passengers have been accounted for so far
+68 A passenger steps off the deck of the ferry, which is sloping perilously towards the sea, onto a rescue boat
+68 Scramble: Maritime officers dressed in black climb up the side of the ship to reach passengers trapped on the ferry's deck
+68 Retrieval: South Korean Coast Guard members hover over the submerged boat in a helicopter as trapped passengers grab onto rails and climb onto the outside of the ship
+68 Pulled up: A passenger is lynched to safety by one of the helicopters scrambled to help with the rescue operation
+68 Drop: A passenger is rescued from the second deck of the sinking ferry as she hangs over the water
+68 Injured: An injured passenger rescued by South Korean maritime policemen from the ship is treated at Jindo Port
+68 Victims: This photo shows people being brought onto land in Jindo after a South Korean ferry carrying 476 passengers and crew sank on its way to Jeju island from Incheon Local media ran terrifying photos showing the partially submerged ferry tilting dramatically as helicopters flew overhead and rescue vessels and a small boat covered with an orange tarp over it floated nearby. It happened about 100km south of the Korean peninsula. Passenger Kim Seong-mok, speaking from a nearby island after his rescue, told YTN that he was 'certain' people were trapped inside the ship as water quickly filled up inside and the severe tilt of the ferry kept them from reaching the exits. Some people yelled at those who couldn't get out, urging them to break windows. Kim said that after having breakfast he felt the ferry tilt and then heard it crash into something. He said the ferry operator made an announcement asking that passengers wait and not move from their places. Kim said he didn't hear any announcement telling passengers to escape.
+68 Fears: As the sun set over the ocaen, rescue teams were still desperately hunting for survivors, some of whom are still trapped inside
+68 Night search: Maritime police send up a flare to act as a source of light. Barely any of the boat is visible above the surface
+68 Fading daylight: A boat shines a light on the Sewol as rescue vessels continue searching for missing passengers
+68 Poor visibility: Two members of the South Korean maritime police look out over the vast expanse of water, while boats gather round the submerged ferry in the distance
+68 Lowering: As the sky gets darker, more of the boat becomes engulfed in the water
+68 Hope: A man sits on the edge of the harbour in Jindo, waiting for missing relatives from the sunken ferry to return
+68 Anxious: A group gather by the waterfront to wait for rescue boats to return. Elite Navy SEAL divers have joined the effort to find missing passengers
+68 Watching on: A man makes a phone call as he gathers with other concerned relatives, desperate to find out more information
+68 Bleak: Those waiting at the port can only sit helpless as they look out across the landscape
+68 Together: Three men in face masks gather on the harbour to wait for news of their relatives. Many are still thought to be trapped in the ship
+68 After dark: Relatives stayed as night drew in, anxious for news of survivors. The fading light however means the search effort will be more difficult
+68 Looking for comfort: A woman lowers her head into a blanket she is gripping tightly
+68 Grasp: Two people, surrounded by television cameras, hold each other has the wait at the port
+68 Cold: Students lean against railings, wrapped up in blankets as the search effort continues
+68 Searching: Three people look out to sea, waiting for survivors to return safely. The search operation has lasted several hours and has been lengthened into the night
+68 Wrapped-up: Relatives wait at the harbour on Jindo island as they wait for updates in the rescue operation
+68 Anguish: A relative of one of the missing passengers weeps. She can do nothing as boats, helicopters and divers desperately try and find the people still unaccounted for
+68 Waiting: Anxious faces on the seawall of Jindo Port in the southwestern province of South Jeolla
+68 Tears: A woman struggles to hold back her emotions as she waits for news of the search operation Another passenger reported hearing a loud noise before the incident. 'We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped,' the passenger told the YTN news channel by telephone. The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes or two hours, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules. The students are from a high school in Ansan city near Seoul and were on their way to Jeju island for a four-day trip, according to a relief team set up by Gyeonggi Province, which governs the city. The ferry left Incheon port, just west of Seoul, on Tuesday evening, according to the state-run Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration.
+68 Shelter: Relatives lay down blankets and sit a gym, waiting for news of the whereabouts of their loved ones
+68 Difficult time: Two women try and comfort each other as they wait for news of the survivors. Some are still believed to be trapped inside the sunken vessel
+68 Distress: Two South Koreans show their devastation as they wait for updates from the sea
+68 Transport: Survivors, wrapped in blankets, are led towards a coach by the emergency services after being brought onto land
+68 Huddled together: Rescued passengers are escorted by members of a rescue team upon their arrival at a port in Jindo, while the coast guard continue to drag people out of the water and search for survivors
+68 Horrified: Three women react after being rescued on the ferry that was travelling from Incheon to Jeju island
+68 Operation: Emergency services and number of buses await the arrival of rescued passengers at Jindo
+68 Crowd: Survivors, including young children, gather in front of medical officials as they look to stay warm
+68 Safety: Passengers are led to waiting transport along the waterfront in Jindo, which is the third largest island in South Korea
+68 Prepared: Paramedics wait to treat injured passengers being brought back to land At the high school, students were sent home and parents gathered for news about the ferry. Park Ji-hee, a first-year student, said she saw about a dozen parents crying at the school entrance and many cars and taxis gathered at the gate as she left in the morning. She said some students in her classroom began to cry as they saw the news on their handsets. Teachers tried to soothe them, saying that the students on the ferry would be fine. A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and navy divers were sent to the area, Lee Gyeong-og, a vice minister for South Korea's Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a televised news conference. He said President Park Geun-hye ordered a thorough rescue operation to prevent deaths. He said 14 had been injured so far, including one described as serious, and taken to hospitals. Later Wednesday, 21 navy and 11 coast guard divers began searching the near-sunken ship for survivors, according to emergency officials. The U.S. Navy has also sent a ship to join the search-and-rescue operation. They said the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, which has helicopters on board, was on a routine patrol off South Korea's west coast and was diverted to the scene of the accident. President Park Geun-hye ordered all available vessels and special operations divers to assist with the operation, as the rescue continues to help the remaining passengers. It is not yet clear what caused the car ferry 'Sewol' to sink during what should have been a routine voyage. 'There are around 450 people on board and we have coastguard vessels, commercial ships in the area, as well as helicopters all engaged in the rescue operation,' a spokesman said. YTN TV also reported the ship may have hit rocks due to fog, citing a South Korean government official. The white car ferry was 20-years-old having been built in 1994 to hold a capacity of 921 passengers, South Korea's largest news agency Yonhap claims.
+68 Help arrives: A helicopter and fishing boat try to rescue passengers from the ferry which is stranded in water off the southern coast of South Korea
+68 Account: Survivors have said they heard a 'loud bang' before the ship began rolling on its side. Authorities have confirmed there are no large reefs or rocks in the area
+68 Reunion: A father hugs his daughter who was pulled from the sinking ferry
+68 Agony: A list of survivors is attached to the wall of a gym in Jindo. Terrified parents approach to see if they can find the names of their children
+68 Pain: Another woman agonisingly searches the list of survivors, hoping to find a name she knows
+68 Scared: A mother, pictured right, finds her son's name among the list of rescued passengers. More than 100 are unaccounted for
+68 Scared: Rescued passengers support each other inside the school gym as they wait to hear news concerning their fellow passengers
+68 Worried: Parents gather at Danwon high school in Ansan, South Korea, to search for their childrens' names on the list of survivors
+68 Emotional: Parents at the school are demanding information on the whereabouts of their loved ones who were on a trip when the ferry began to sink
+68 Relief: The mother reacts as she finds her son's name om the survivors list at a gym where rescued passengers have gathered in Jindo
+68 Prayer: Parents wait to be reunited with their children as a bus carrying rescued passengers returns to Danwon high school
+68 Frantic: South Korean coast guard police work quickly to organise a rescue operation
+68 Shocking: A man watches the dramatic images shown on TV news in South Korea
+68 Saved: Passengers were brought onto land in Jindo after a South Korean ferry carrying 476 passengers and crew sank
+68 Concerned: Koreans gathered around televisions to watch the rescue operation unfold off South Korea's southwestern coast
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