Watch related video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke.
SEOUL —
South Korean divers resumed searching Thursday for 282 people - many of them teenagers - missing nearly 24 hours after an ocean-going ferry capsized near an island off the South Korean coast.
Rescue boats sail around the South Korean passenger ship "Sewol" which sank, during their rescue operation in the sea off Jindo, April 17, 2014.
Coast guard officials say 25 people were confirmed dead by early Thursday, and that 179 others had been rescued.
Authorities warn the death toll could rise sharply as rescuers probe the wreckage in waters 32 meters deep. Officials reported water temperature at just over 12 degrees Celsius - a temperature cold enough to cause hypothermia in a matter of hours.
Dozens of helicopters and ships are involved in the search and rescue effort, and a U.S. naval amphibious assault ship remained on standby to provide support if requested.
South Korean Ferry Sinks
1/13South Korean Coast Guard officers try to rescue missing passengers from a sunken ferry in the water off the southern coast near Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
2/13Family members of missing children gather at a gymnasium in Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
3/13Relatives of passengers board a South Korean Coast Guard boat to go to the scene of the rescue area, Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
4/13Mothers of the missing children that were aboard the sunken ferry listen to South Korean President Park Geun-hye speak, Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
5/13A TV cameraman films weeping relatives of the missing passengers from the sunken ferry, Sewol, at a port in Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
6/13An official on a Coast Guard ship points at a radar display of the area where the ferry sank off the southern coast near Jindo, South Korea, April 17, 2014.
7/13The South Korean ferry "Sewol" is seen sinking in the sea off Jindo, South Korea, April 16, 2014.
8/13This image made from video from the South Korean Coast Guard shows a passenger of a ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast being hoisted onto a Coast Guard helicopter off the southern coast near Jindo, April 16, 2014.
9/13This image made from video from the South Korean Coast Guard shows a rescue worker helps people climb onto a side of a ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast, April 16, 2014.
10/13Rescued passengers cry at a gym where rescued passengers gather in Jindo, South Korea, April 16, 2014.
11/13The mother of a passenger who was on a sinking ferry reacts as she finds her son's name in the survivors list at a gym where rescued passengers gather in Jindo, South Korea, April 16, 2014.
12/13Helicopters fly toward the sinking ferry that was on its way to Jeju island from Incheon, April 16, 2014.
13/13People watch a TV news program showing the sinking ferry, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, April 16, 2014.
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South Korea Minister of Security and Public Administration Kang Byung-kyu said floating cranes will attempt to lift the almost completely submerged boat out of the water.
"A total of 555 divers were mobilized for search operations and three cranes departed [for the accident area] last night. One crane will arrive tomorrow morning and two will arrive at night," said Byung-kyu.
This image made from video from the South Korean Coast Guard shows a passenger of a ferry sinking off South Korea's southern coast being hoisted onto a Coast Guard helicopter off the southern coast near Jindo, April 16, 2014.
The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol departed from the port of Incheon, west of Seoul, Tuesday night for the island of Jeju, some 100 kilometers off the southwest coast. The vessel was also carrying about 150 cars and trucks.
Authorities have not established the cause of the sinking. But some survivors reported hearing a loud impact noise before the vessel rolled onto its side and began sinking.
Many passengers said they were initially told to stay in their seats and not try to escape, a development that outraged many families of those missing.
Kim Young-bung, the head of the Chonghaejin Marine Company that operated the ferry, on Thursday apologized for the disaster.
"We deeply apologized to the families and I'm saying again that we're really sorry. Our company will promise that we'll do our best not to lose any more lives. We're sorry," said Young-bung.
Among the passengers were 325 students from a high school near Seoul, traveling to the popular resort island for a four-day field trip and sightseeing.
Heavy fog was reported in the area on Tuesday evening, but it is not known whether it contributed to the sinking.
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