A captain and three of his crew have been charged with manslaughter after fleeing a South Korean ferry that sank, killing 280 people.

They are accused of leaving the ship, despite telling passengers to stay where they were. Most of those on board were students from the same high school, who were on a compulsory field trip.

Don Kirk, correspondent for the Independent newspaper in Seoul, says the tragedy last month has angered the public:

Manslaughter charges

The captain, two navigators and a chief engineer have been charged with the same offence, manslaughter through gross negligence - and if convicted all four could face the death penalty.

Prosecutors have also charged 11 other surviving crew members of the Sewol with negligence.

Retrieval operation

Coastguard spokesman Ko Myung-Suk said a further five bodies were retrieved on Wednesday, including one found floating on the surface of the sea.

The confirmed death toll now stands at 281, with 23 still missing.

The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it sank on April 16.

The crew has been under criminal investigations after they were reported to have escaped the sinking vessel before many of the passengers.