The Chinese embassy confirmed Thursday that two Chinese citizens were on board the capsized South Korean ship, but it was still seeking clarification from South Korean authorities.

Two of the passengers aboard the ill-fated ship from the western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju were confirmed to be Chinese nationals, an official with the Chinese embassy said.

But the South Korean coast guard could not identify them by checking the personal information passengers provided while purchasing tickets, and the Chinese embassy requested South Korean authorities to further examine the lead, the official added.

Meanwhile, a Xinhua correspondent learned that the relatives of the two passengers claimed to have seen them get aboard the ship with a vehicel in security camera footage.

According to local regulations, passengers with a vehicle could board the ship by only registering the plate number, instead of giving their personal information, which might explain why South Korean authorities failed to find the information of the two Chinese passengers.