The ferry disaster off the South Korean coast looks like it could be much worse than first thought.<br /><br />The coast guard now say more than 300 people are unaccounted for, a dramatic increase in the number of missing announced earlier.<br /><br />More than 160 people have been rescued, but the ferry was carrying nearly 500 people – many of them high school students and teachers on a field trip from Incheon to the tourist island of Jeju, sometimes known as the “South Korean Hawaii”.<br /><br />Of the passengers brought ashore, most are said to be in good condition but at least two people are confirmed dead.<br /><br />Navy, coastguard and other ships as well as helicopters are involved in the rescue.<br /><br />It’s not known what caused the ferry to list and capsize in apparently calm conditions. One witness said there was a “loud impact and noise” before it started sinking.<br /><br />Heavy fog had set in overnight leading to cancellations of many ferry services to the islands.<br /><br />As the ferry sank, terrified passengers in lifejackets took to lifeboats; others jumped into the water where rescuers apparently including local fishermen took them on board. <br /><br />Elsewhere there were scenes of chaos at a school south of Seoul as desperate parents clamoured for news of their children.
