SEOUL, South Korea --
A ferry carrying 459 people, mostly high school students on an overnight
trip to a tourist island, sank off South Korea's southern coast on
Wednesday, leaving nearly 300 people missing despite a frantic,
hours-long rescue by dozens of ships and helicopters. At least four
people were confirmed dead and 55 injured.
South Korean media, including Yonhap news agency, say passengers were asked to jump overboard with life vests as the ship was on the verge of sinking. News reports say about 120 people have already been rescued.
The Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration says in a statement that the ferry with 471 people was sailing to the southern island of Jeju when it sent a distress call Wednesday morning.
There are no immediate reports of causalities.
Agency officials say they have no further details. Calls to South Korea's coast guard headquarters weren't immediately answered.
(Copyright ©2014 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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