Survivors tell of panic on board as ferry tilts, then capsizes Photos: South Korean ship sinks Survivor accounts
Shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, passenger Kim Sung-Mook was eating breakfast in the ship's main hall when he felt a tilt, he told CNN affiliate YTN.
At first, "we thought it was because of the tide," he said.
The waves had been smooth until the ship suddenly leaned, witnesses said.
The ship tilted further, and an announcement blared through loudspeakers warning passengers that moving would be dangerous.
Then, he heard a loud bang from inside the ship. Kim said he thought a crane on board had toppled over.
When seawater started gushing into the ferry, passengers began to scramble.
Elsewhere on the ferry, high school student Lim Hyung Min felt tremors that were strong enough to knock shipping containers off balance. Several of his classmates were flung off their feet as the ferry began to lean.
"The students were falling over and crashing into things and bleeding," Lim said.
The ship tilted further, to about 90 degrees, passengers said.
Back in the main hall, Kim heard the buzzing of helicopters overhead. Cafeteria workers were dashing up to the deck.
"The helicopters arrived. They said they could take five more people, so we sent students," Kim said.
Footage from South Korean media showed helicopters hovering over a half-submerged ferry with panic-stricken passengers scrambling from the side.
