South Korean state prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant for captain Lee Jun Seok, as investigators look into the actions of the crew of the ferry that capsized and sank off the country's south-west. The 69-year-old Lee is accused of breaches of the seaman's code in actions that include turning over the wheel of the ship to a 26-year-old third mate, according to dpa. Lee is also under investigation for being one of the first to leave while there were passengers still in danger. Survivors state that passengers were told by loudspeaker not to move even as the ship was already beginning to capsize. According to experts, precious time was lost through the late evacuation of the ship. Rescuers meanwhile intensified the search for the 268 passengers, mostly schoolchildren, still missing two days after the accident. A total of 28 were confirmed dead by Friday afternoon, and 179 rescued, Yonhap News Agency said. "It seems like bodies have begun to spill out of the sunken ship due to current shifts," Yonhap quoted an official as saying. All bodies recovered were found in the sea near the Sewol ferry, not retrieved from the wreck. Rescue ships and cranes were moved into place as the hull finally disappeared beneath the waves around noon local time (0300 GMT), the report said. Divers accessed the inside of the submerged ship for the first time, battling strong currents and water as cold as 12 degrees, Yonhap said. Underwater visibility was as low as 20 centimetres, according to China's Xinhua news agency. Rescuers were also pumping oxygen into the boat to help potential survivors breathe, and restore some of its buoyancy, Yonhap quoted coast guard officials as saying. Cranes were preparing to either lift the boat, currently lying in about 35 metres of water, or move it to weaker currents where it would be easier to access. -- SPA 20:39 LOCAL TIME 17:39 GMT تغريد
