(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) oul April 19 - The captain of a South Korean ferry that sank earlier this week was put behind bars early Saturday as a local court issued arrest warrants for him and two other crewmembers. The 68-year-old captain faces five counts of charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law state-run Yonhap news agency reported. The Mokpo court cited the possibility that they may flee or destroy evidence. Lee is accused of having escaped before passengers when the 6825-ton vessel slowly sank Wednesday morning off the southwestern coast of the peninsula. Twenty-nine people died and more than 270 others remain unaccounted for. The captain reportedly let an inexperienced sailor control the ship at the time of its sinking while he was not even at the bridge. Survivors also claim that the crew did not take swift and proper measures to evacuate passengers only telling them to stay where they were. Meanwhile desperate search and rescue efforts for hundreds still unaccounted for in the deadly ferry accident continued for a fourth day on Saturday. Hundreds of Navy and Coast Guard officers along with civilian divers have been battling strong underwater currents and low visibility to reach 273 people believed to be trapped inside the ferry Sewol that sank three days ago. More than 72 hours have passed since the 6825-ton ship sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on a foggy Wednesday morning. A total of 476 passengers including 325 high schoolers on a field trip were aboard the ship en route to the southern resort island of Jeju from the western port of Incheon.
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