調查人員：渡輪發生事故時船長未掌舵
Investigators say the captain of a ferry that capsized off South Korea's southern coast Wednesday was not at the wheel when disaster struck.
Officials said Friday that a junior officer was at the helm when Sewol ferry possibly made a sharp turn and started tilting to the side and sinking.
Coast guard officials say as of midday Friday, 28 people were confirmed dead, although the death toll is expected to rise sharply. Rescuers have fought strong currents and murky waters in their search for 268 people still missing, while 179 passengers have been rescued.
Among the ferry's 475 passengers were 325 students from a high school near Seoul, traveling to a popular resort island for a four-day field trip and sightseeing.
U.S. President Barack Obama has sent his condolences to the families of the victims and said he will pay tribute during a visit to that country next week.調查人員說，韓國一艘渡輪星期三在南部沿海地區傾覆時，渡輪的船長沒有掌舵。
有關官員星期五說，“歲月號”渡輪可能在一次急轉彎後開始傾斜並下沉，當時是船長的一名下屬在掌舵。
韓國海岸警衛隊官員說，目前已有28人確認死亡，但死亡人數預計會大幅上升。搜救人員一直在激流惡水中奮戰，找尋目前仍然處於失蹤狀態的268人。到目前爲止，有179人獲救。
這艘渡輪載有475名乘客，其中包括首爾附近一所高中的325名學生，他們當時正前往旅遊勝地濟州島，準備進行爲期四天的遊覽。
美國總統奧巴馬星期四向遇難者家屬表示哀悼，並說將在下星期訪問韓國期間向死者致哀。
