South Korean ferry Captain, crew members charged with manslaughter

Reports say that captain of the sunken South Korean ferry and three crew members are charged with manslaughter.

Lee Joon-Seok, aged 68 is accused of leaving the ship as it was sinking while telling passengers to stay put.

Ha was among the first to be rescued by coast guards at the scene.

The Sewol ferry sunk on April 16 this year killing 281 passengers most were high school students while another 23 are still missing.

Besides Mr Lee, three crew members who are Chief Engineer, Chief Mate and second mate are also being charged with manslaughter and if convicted they could face a life imprisonment sentence.

The four people charged are said to have escaped before the passengers, leading to grave casualties.

Only 172 passengers survived the sinking of the ferry, including 22 of the 29 crew members.