The captain of a South Korean ferry that sank earlier this week was put behind bars early Saturday as a local court issued arrest warrants for him and two other crewmembers.

The 68-year-old captain, whose surname is Lee, faces five counts of charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.

The Mokpo court cited the possibility that they may flee or destroy evidence.

Lee is accused of having escaped before passengers when the 6,825-ton vessel slowly sank Wednesday morning off the southwestern coast of the peninsula.

Twenty-nine people died and more than 270 others remain unaccounted for.

The captain reportedly let an inexperienced sailor control the ship at the time of its sinking, while he was not even at the bridge.

Survivors also claim that the crew did not take swift and proper measures to evacuate passengers, only telling them to stay where they were. (Yonhap)