韓國一艘渡輪沉沒兩人死290人失蹤

South Korea's coast guard says two people are dead and at least 290 missing after a passenger boat sank off the country's southern coast Wednesday.

The ferry was carrying more than 470 people, mostly students, to the resort island of Jeju when it sank in what appeared to be calm conditions.

Officials initially announced only around 100 people were unaccounted for. But they later drastically increased that number for unknown reasons.

Many could be trapped inside the almost completely submerged ship, though officials say some missing passengers may have been rescued by nearby commercial vessels.

South Korean Vice Minister of Security and Public Information Lee Gyeong-og said a massive rescue effort is under way.

A team of South Korean navy SEALS is also participating in the rescue.

The U.S. Navy said it is sending an amphibious assault ship, the USS Bonhome Richard, to join the search and rescue operation.

Most of the passengers were high school students headed to Jeju island on a school outing.

韓國海岸警衛隊說，一艘渡輪星期三在韓國南部沿海沉沒，兩人死亡，至少290人失蹤。

這艘載有470多人的渡輪在駛往旅遊勝地濟州島途中沉沒，大多數乘客是學生。當時海面沒有什麼風浪。

有關官員最初宣佈只有大約1百人下落不明，但後來大幅增加了失蹤人數。原因沒有說明。

幾乎整個船體都被水淹沒，很多人可能被困在渡輪中。有關官員說，一些被認爲失蹤的乘客可能已被附近的商船救起。

韓國有關當局說，目前正在進行大規模的營救行動。

韓國海軍一支海豹突擊隊參與了營救行動。

美國海軍說，將派遣兩棲突擊艦“好人理查德號”參加搜救行動。

這艘渡輪上的大多數乘客是前往濟州島參加學校組織的旅遊的高中生。