Twenty-five people have been confirmed dead in the sinking of a South Korean ferry, the authorities said on Friday.
The coast guard said another 271 people were still missing, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
“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 to date were found floating in the sea rather than being recovered from the wreck of the ferry.
The Sewol sank on Wednesday while travelling from Incheon near the capital Seoul to the southern resort island of Jeju.
Divers enter capsized South Korean ferry for first time
Four rescue divers entered a capsized ferry in South Korea Friday in search of passengers, the broadcaster KBS reported.
The divers made their way into the Sewol’s cafeteria at 10:05 (0105 GMT), the report said.
Obama offers condolences
US President Barack Obama on Friday expressed his “deepest condolences to the Republic of Korea and the families of all those who have seen their loved ones lost” in the ferry sinking.
“We know that many of the victims of this terrible tragedy were students,” Obama said.
He noted that US navy personnel and Marines are on the scene helping with search and rescue.
“As one of our closest allies, our commitment to South Korea is unwavering in good times and in bad, and that’s something I’ll underscore during my visit to Seoul next week,” Obama told reporters at a press conference.