Yesterday, off the coast of South Korea, a large passenger ferry named the Sewol sank in calm seas, while carrying more than 450 passengers, mostly high school students on an overnight trip to a tourist island. Officials currently confirm only 164 have been rescued, another four listed as killed, leaving approximately 300 passengers still missing. By nightfall, the Sewol had turned upside down, sinking nearly completely below the surface -- only a small part of its bow still visible. Reuters quoted one survivor as saying "The on-board announcement told people to stay put... people who stayed are trapped." As anxious relatives await word, officials have resumed rescue operations after a short pause during the darkest hours of the night.
South Korea Ferry Sinks, Hundreds Missing
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Passengers from a ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast are rescued by South Korean Coast guard in the water off the southern coast near Jindo, south of Seoul, on April 16, 2014. Nearly 300 people were still missing Wednesday morning, several hours after the ferry carrying more than 450 passengers, most of them high school students, sank in cold waters off South Korea's southern coast. #
AP Photo/Yonhap -
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Rescue work by members of the Republic of Korea Coast Guard continues around the ferry sinking off the coast of Jindo Island on April 16, 2014 in Jindo-gun, South Korea. #
Republic of Korea Coast Guard via Getty Images -
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Passengers from a ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast are rescued by South Korean Coast guard in the water off the southern coast near Jindo, on April 16, 2014. #
AP Photo/Yonhap -
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The mother of a passenger who was on a sinking ferry reacts as she finds her son's name in the survivors list at a gym where rescued passengers gathered in Jindo on April 16, 2014. #
Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji -
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