The South Korean civilian ferry Sewol (Korean: ì¸ì) capsized on April 16, 2014. It was carrying about 459 people, mostly secondary school students from Danwon High School (Ansan) who were travelling from Incheon to Jeju. The 6,825-ton vessel sent a distress signal from about 20 kilometres (12 mi) off Byungpoong Island at 08:58 Korea Standard Time (23:58 UTC). Many passengers were rescued by fishing and other commercial vessels, which were first on the scene before the arrival approximately 30 minutes later of Korean Coast Guard and ROK Navy ships, backed by helicopters. There are ongoing rescue effects by the South Korean government, civilian groups and individuals, and the Uinted States Navy.
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