South Korea ferry disaster: All navigation crew 'held'

All 15 crew members involved in the navigation of the ill-fated South Korean passenger ferry Sewol are now reportedly in custody, facing criminal negligence charges, the BBC reported.

The prosecution requested arrest warrants for four additional crew members. Eleven others, including the captain, had been detained earlier.

The ferry with 476 people on board sank off South Korea on 16 April.

Divers have recovered 183 bodies, but scores are missing presumed drowned.

Many of the victims were students and teachers from Danwon high school, south of Seoul.

The ferry sank on a trip from the port of Incheon to the island of Jeju.

In the latest move on Saturday, the arrests warrants were issued for two helmsmen and two members of the steering crew.

Prosecutor Yang Jung-jin, of the joint investigation team, said the four crew members were taken into custody late on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

The 15 crew members are facing charges of criminal negligence and of failing to help passengers, the prosecution says.