JINDO - The Chinese embassy said Friday that rescuers recovered the body of a fourth Chinese passenger, identified as a high school girl, after South Korean ferry Sewol with 476 people aboard capsized and sank off Jindo Island on April 16.

A total of four Chinese nationals were on board the ill-fated ship en route from the western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju. And the embassy has confirmed the death of the other three - two men and a woman - since search and rescue operation began nine days ago.

The passengers aboard the ship included 325 students and 15 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, which is home to a lot of Chinese people.

The confirmed death toll stood at 185 Friday while 117 people remained unaccounted for.