Originally published April 17, 2014<br /><br />Check out our official website: http://us.tomonews.net/<br />Check out our Android app: http://goo.gl/PtT6VD<br />Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Nearly 300 people, most of them students, are missing after a multi-story ferry carrying almost 500 people sank off South Korea's southwestern coast, according to a Reuters report.<br /><br />The South Korean ferry ran into trouble as it was traveling from Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju early Wednesday morning.<br /><br />A South Korean newspaper reported thick fog may have obscured visibility causing the ferry to run aground on a reef at around 8:30 a.m.<br /><br />Passengers described hearing a loud impact before the ferry began to list heavily on its side.<br /><br />"It was fine. Then the ship went 'boom' and there was a noise of cargo falling," said passenger Cha Eun-ok, according to the report.<br /><br />Many jumped from the ship into freezing waters as the vessel began to sink.<br /><br />After receiving a distress signal, navy and civilian vessels rushed to the scene.<br /><br />It took roughly two hours for the ferry to roll on its side, completely turn over and capsize.<br /><br />Witnesses say many people likely remain trapped inside the ferry.<br /><br />The Sewol ship has a capacity of 921 people. More than 450 passengers were on board, including 324 high school students on a school trip.<br /><br />At least four deaths have been reported, but a final casualty count is not yet available. <br />There are conflicting reports as to the exact cause of the accident as despite reports of thick fog, Korea's meteorological agency says skies were clear Wednesday morning.<br /><br />"We will try to determine the cause of the accident after rescue operations are over," said Lee Gyeong-og, South Korea's vice-minister of security and public administration, according to the BBC.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />W
