SEOUL, April 16 -- A passenger ship with 471 people aboard, mostly high school students, was sinking in waters off South Korea's southwest coast, local broadcaster YTN reported.

The 6,825-ton passenger ship "SEWOL" was sinking in waters off the Jindo Island, just off South Korea's southwest corner, sending out a distress signal at around 8:55 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The ship careened around 60 degrees to the port.

Among the 471 people on board, a total of 190 people were rescued as of 10:20 a.m. local time.

After the report, the South Korean navy dispatched seven patrol ships and scrambled a helicopter to the scene for rescue operations.

The ship departed from South Korea's eastern port city of Incheon for the country's southern Jeju Island.