The Chinese embassy in Seoul confirmed today that four Chinese travelers were aboard the South Korean Ferry that capsized and sank on Wednesday, leaving over 200 people still unaccounted for.
The four included a young female student, a couple on vacation and a man who was working in South Korea, according to Xinhua. The vessel Sewol was carrying 475 people when it capsized, most of them high school students who were on their way to the resort island Jeju for a four-day field trip.
As of Friday evening, 28 people, including 12 students, two teachers and three crew members, have been confirmed dead. At least 179 people were rescued and 268 are still missing.
According to CNN, an arrest warrant has now been issued to the captain and two crew member of the ferry. While the cause of the accident is still unknown, a Korean prosecutor said that the captain, Lee Joon Suk, wasn’t in the steering room when the ship began sinking.
At a coast guard station yesterday the captain said: “I am really sorry and deeply ashamed.”