Embassy confirms 2 Chinese nationals aboard ill-fated S Korean ship

Helicopters fly above a sinking South Korean passenger ship in water off the southern coast in South Korea, April 16, 2014.(Xinhua/Newsis)

The Chinese embassy here confirmed Thursday that two Chinese citizens were on board a South Korean passenger ship, which capsized in waters off South Korea's southwest coast Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead and 287 others still unaccounted for.

The two Chinese nationals, one male and the other female, were aboard the ill-fated ship from the western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju, an official with the Chinese embassy said.

Separately, a Xinhua correspondent learned later in the day that a teenager of Chinese origin was also among the victims still missing a day after the deadly maritime accident.

Parents of the high school student confirmed the news, but declined to say whether she has gotten South Korean citizenship.

The passengers aboard the ship included 325 students and 15 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, which, according to the Chinese embassy, is home to a lot of Chinese people.

Meanwhile, the relatives of the two confirmed Chinese passengers claimed to have seen them get aboard the ship with a vehicle in security camera footage.

According to local regulations, passengers with a vehicle could board the ship by only registering the plate number, instead of giving their personal information, which might explain why South Korean authorities had failed to find the information of the two Chinese passengers.