Ferry Sinks Off South Korea, Nearly 300 People Missing

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By Stan Schroeder2014-04-16 12:16:12 UTC

Nearly 300 people are missing after a ferry sank off the coast of South Korea Wednesday morning.

It’s not clear what caused the multi-story vessel to list and sink, but witnesses reported an impact and loud noise just before the ship began to roll over in the water.

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The ship sent out a distress signal at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, NPR reports, and less than two hours later had completely turned over, leaving the majority of it under water.

The New York Times reports there were 459 people on board, including more than 300 high school students on a trip to a nearby island.

There have been two confirmed fatalities in the accident, a student and a member of the ferry’s crew. One survivor spoke with the BBC, and said, “There was an announcement telling us to sit still, but the ferry was already sinking. Some of the students were not able to escape.”

Another survivor, a student, told local television that students had jumped into the freezing ocean wearing life jackets before swimming to a nearby rescue boat. "As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another," he said. The ocean "was so cold. ... I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live."

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Topics: South Korea, US & World, World

Image: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press