Captain apologises for S Korea ferry disaster

The captain of a sunken South Korean ferry has apologised to families of the victims and those missing a day after the country's biggest maritime disaster. 

Witnesses told Korean media on Thursday that the captain of the vessel, which sank off South Korea's southwest coast, leaving at least nine dead and about 290 missing, was one of the first to leave the stricken vessel.

He is now being held by the coast guard.

"I am so sorry and I am shamed. I'm lost for words," said Captain Lee Joon-seok when asked by journalists if he had anything to say to the victims and their families.

Authorities on Thursday confirmed 25 people had died and 272 passengers still missing, a day after theSewol ferry flipped on its side off the southern coast of South Korea. The ferry was carrying a total of 475 people when it sank.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye met angry and frustrated families of the victims on Thursday, pledging that the government will do its best to rescue the hundreds still missing.

Park made a visit to Jindo, where rescue efforts are centred, and promised family members updates and accurate information on the progress of search operations.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, but it happened. I will order to make a cursory investigation and find out the cause (of the sinking) so that we can severely punish those responsible," Park said to the families gathered.

One parent, Park Yung-suk, told the Reuters news agency that she had seen the body of her teenage daughter's teacher brought ashore earlier in the morning.

"There are parents here who believe there are children who are alive on the boat," Fawcett said. "People here are really clinging onto that hope."

"If could teach myself to dive, I would jump in the water and try to find my daughter," Park said.

Text message 

The father of one of the missing passengers meanwhile said he received a text message from his child, saying that there were still survivors in the boat. The child said, "I am alive, there are students alive, please save us quickly".