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The captain of the South Korean ferry with 475 passengers on board was not at the helm of the ship when it capsized, according to investigators.

Lee Joon-Seok was not at the helm when the ship began listing

The third officer was understood to be piloting the ship when the tragedy occurred, an investigating prosecutor told a news conference, and the captain may not even have been on the bridge at the time.

Investigators are also looking at whether the third officer ordered the vessel to make an abrupt turn, which caused it to tilt severely and take on water, according to prosecutor Park Jae-Eok.

"He may have been off the bridge... and the person at the helm at the time was the third officer," the investigator said.
"The captain was not in command when the accident took place," he added.
 

Of the 29 crew members, 20 people including Mr Lee survived.
After the tragedy, he made a brief, videotaped appearance, although his face was hidden by a grey hoodie.

He said: "I am really sorry and deeply ashamed. I don't know what to say."
Divers are working in shifts to try get into the upturned ship to pump oxygen into the vessel to help any survivors, but their attempts are being hampered by strong currents and freezing temperatures.

The 146-metre (480ft) ship had left Incheon on the northwestern coast of South Korea on Tuesday for the overnight journey to the southern resort island of Jeju.
It was three hours from its destination on Wednesday morning when it began to list for reasons unknown.
 

Na Mwanaharakati.