DHAKA: Lee Joon-seok, Captain of the South Korean sunken ferry Sewol, said sorry and sought apology to his nation and to the bereaved families those lost or are yet to find their dear ones, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Captain Lee, 52, said, "I am really sorry and deeply ashamed. I don`t know what to say."

The captain is facing charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law, was shown on television on Thursday, whose face was partially obscured.

A court issued arrest warrants for him and two other crew members on these charges.

It was learned that a junior officer - not the captain - was at the helm of the ferry when it capsized.

Meanwhile, divers searching for survivors of the capsized ferry saw three bodies floating in a submerged passenger cabin but were unable to break through a window to retrieve them.

The Sewol was travelling from Incheon to Jeju, a resort island in the south on Wednesday morning when it capsized and sank within two hours.

Efforts to find the 268 people still missing have been hampered by low visibility and strong currents and hopes are fading for them.

Most of them are pupils from Danwon High School in Ansan, a suburb of Seoul.

And a school vice-principal rescued from the ferry was found dead. Police believe he took his own life.

Some 28 people are now known to have died in the disaster and 179 were rescued, according to BBC.

Investigations are focusing on a sharp turn the vessel took before it started listing and whether an evacuation order could have saved lives.

Three salvage cranes reached the scene and may be used to raise the ship or move it to another area with weaker currents.

BDST: 1130 HRS APR 19, 2014