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A major rescue operation is under way after a ferry carrying 476 people capsized and then sank off South Korea, the BBC reported.

The ferry, carrying mainly school students, was travelling from Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju.

One person had died and almost 150 more had been rescued, officials said. Other passengers were told to jump into the sea to await rescue.

A total of 34 naval, coastguard and civilian ships were involved in rescue efforts, as well as 18 helicopters.

Images showed the ferry listing at a severe angle and then later largely submerged, with only a small part of its hull visible.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye had ordered coast guard commandos to search the ship so that no-one was left behind, Yonhap news agency reported. Navy divers were also reportedly on scene.

So far, a total of 147 people had been rescued, South Korean officials said, out of the 452 passengers and 24 crewmen on board the vessel.

One body had been recovered from the ship, the coastguard said.

It is not yet clear what caused the incident, but witnesses described hearing an impact, before the ship listed and quickly sank.

One passenger told the YTN news channel: "We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped.

"The boat is tilting and we have to hold on to something to stay seated," the passenger said.

Another passenger said the ship was "shaking and tilting", with people tripping and bumping into each other.

News agencies said the ferry had sent out a distress signal about 20km (12 miles) off the island of Byungpoong at about 09:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

Angry parents have gathered at the school to demand answers, reports the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul.

Earlier reports put the number of passengers on the ferry at about 350. The vessel is reported to have a capacity of up to 900 people.