The South Korean ferry "Sewol" with more than 459 people on board, mostly high school students, capsized and sank off Jindo Island on the country's southwest coast Wednesday morning.

Latest News:

Chinese leaders send condolences to S. Korea over shipwreck

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday extended condolences to their respective South Korean counterparts over a ferry accident, which has left a significant number of people dead or missing. Full story

Xinhua Focus: Hundreds still missing in South Korea's ferry sinking

SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Search for some 290 people, mostly teenage schoolchildren, who are still missing after a ferry capsized off South Korea's southwest coast, continued into the second the day on Thursday.Full story

9 dead, 287 still missing in S. Korea ferry sinking

SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A passenger ship carrying 475 people, mostly high school students, capsized in waters off South Korea's southwest coast Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead and 287 others still missing, local media reported, quoting the central disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters.Full story

Timeline

2014-04-17  23:30:16                   20 CONFIRMED DEAD IN S. KOREA SHIPWRECK

2014-04-17  07:40:46                   6 dead, 290 still missing in S.Korean ferry sinking, search resumed

2014-04-16  22:01:31                   4 dead, 284 missing as passenger ship sinks off S. Korean coast

2014-04-16  18:39:28                   3 dead, 292 missing as passenger ship sinks off S. Korean coast   

2014-04-16  14:27:45                   FLASH: About 290 still missing in S. Korean sunken ship: yonhap

2014-04-16  13:52:26                   Video:Ship sends distress signal off S. Korean coast

2014-04-16 13:35:37                    Two dead, 107 missing as passenger ship sinks off S. Korean coast

2014-04-16 12:31:11                    Passenger ship carrying 477 sinks off S. Korean coast; 2 dead

2014-04-16 11:15:58                    Passenger ship carrying 476 sinks off S. Korean coast; 1 dead

2014-04-16 08:41:19                    FLASH: Sinking S. Korean ship with 350 aboard sends distress signal -- report

2014-04-16 08:29:57                    FLASH: Passenger ship carrying 500 sinking off S. Korean coast- report

Q&A: Key facts about South Korean ferry sinking

Q: How are search and rescue efforts going and what are the difficulties?

A: After receiving a distress signal, South Korean authorities, including police, fire, coastguard and navy, dispatched 72 ships and 18 helicopters to the scene.

An 82-member Ship Salvage Unit (SSU) and 114 elite navy SEAL divers raced to the site.  Full story

Q: What is the initial judgement on the cause of the sinking?

A: Officials from South Korea's Security and Public Administration Ministry said the cause could be confirmed only after rescue and search work concluded.

However, South Korean media quoted some of the rescued passengers as saying that a loud sound was heard, before the ship started to list and then sank at around 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday. The ship was believed to have hit a submerged rock or another ship on the foggy sea. Full story

In pictures: