South Korea's prosecutors on Thursday charged the captain and three crew members of the sunken ferry "Sewol" with murder as they abandoned the ship without helping rescue or evacuate hundreds of passengers, local media reported.

The 68-year-old captain, Lee Joon-seok, the chief engineer and the chief and second mates of the ferry were charged with murder, dereliction of duty, violation of the law of salvage at sea and other charges, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yonhap said these crew members could face life in prison if convicted.

The other 11 crew members were charged with causing death or injuries by negligence and violation of the Law of salvage at sea as they quickly escaped the ship when the accident happened, leaving passengers and sailors trapped in the ship.

The crew members, who were among the first to be rescued by Coast Guard, have come under heavy criticism for abandoning the ship while ordering passengers to stay in cabins and delay the evacuation.

By now, all 15 sailors on board the ship have been sued by Gwangju district attorney and will stand trial at a district court in Gwangju, a city around 330 kilometers south of Seoul.

As of Thursday, the confirmed death toll stood at 281, 23 others still remained missing. No survivors have been reported since April 16 when the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the country's southwestern coast.