The captain and three other crew members of the ferry that sank off South Korea last month were indicted on charges of manslaughter through gross negligence, Yonhap news agency reported.

They are accused of leaving the ship as it was sinking while telling passengers, mostly high school students on a school excursion, to stay where they were.

More than 280 passengers were killed in what was the country's worst maritime accident in more than 20 years.

The prosecution also indicted all 11 other surviving crew members of the Sewol for negligence.