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'Unforgivable murder': South Korean PM slams sunken ferry's captain for 'deserting' | Daily Star MISSION: Efforts to recover the bodies from the sunken ferry continue as the death toll rises [EPA]

President Park Geun-hye said it was clear the ship's captain Lee Joon-seok had unnecessarily delayed the evacuation as the Sewol vessel began sinking.

The confirmed death toll currently stands at 64, with another 238 people still missing, most of them children from a school near the South Korean capital of Seoul.

"What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense, unforgivable, murderous behaviour," Ms Park told a Cabinet meeting.

She slammed Lee, the 69-year-old captain, for "deserting" the terrified passengers as the ship began to sink.

"Legally and ethically, this is an unimaginable act," she added.

Lee was arrested on Saturday along with two other crew members and has been charged with negligence and failing to secure the safety of the passengers. ALL NIGHT: Divers are working round-the-clock to try and recover the bodies of those still trapped on the sunken ship [EPA] PRAY: People face out to the site of the tragedy and pray for those affected [REUTERS]

“Legally and ethically, this is an unimaginable act”

President Park Geun-hye

Lee and some of the crew have faced angry criticism for delaying the order to abandon ship.

Had they acted quicker it is believed they could have saved more people from the vessel which was carrying 476 people.

Divers are continuing to search the sunken ship for bodies while police have been given access to hundred of messages sent by passengers and crew so they can build a detailed order of events during the ferry's last hours.

A coastguard spokesman has told AFP that recovery efforts on the 146metre-long ship are focusing on the third and fourth decks where the ship's cabins were located.