Obama says U.S. will provide South Korea any help needed in ferry accident

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the South Korean ferry sinking and said the U.S. military will provide the country with any help it needs to perform rescue operations.

Rescuers are battling strong waves and murky waters as they search for hundreds of people, many of them teenagers, who are still missing after the boat capsized about 12 miles (20 km) off the country's south-western coast. The vessel was bound for the holiday island of Jeju with passengers and crew of 475.