The captain of the ferry that sank off South Korea, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, was arrested today on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.

An immediate evacuation order was not issued for the stricken South Korean ferry because officers on the bridge were trying to stabilise the vessel after it started to list amid confusion and chaos, a crew member says.

Strong currents and poor visibility hampered rescuers in the search for 287 passengers still missing more than 24 hours after their ferry flipped on to its side and filled with cold water off the southern coast of South Korea.