A doomed ferry’s captain delayed evacuation for half an hour after a South Korean transportation official ordered preparations to abandon ship, according to a transcript of the ship-to-shore exchange and interviews with a crew member.

The captain of the South Korean ferry that capsized off the southwest coast was facing a criminal investigation amid unconfirmed reports that he was one of the first people to jump to safety as the vessel began sinking.

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.

At least 21 passengers were injured today when an intercity train derailed in South Korea.

Soldiers and anti-disaster officials in South Korea today began clearing up after the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in 40 years left at least 47 people dead and 33 missing in flash floods and landslides.