An Italian cruise ship with about 4,200 people aboard ran aground on Friday, killing three people in the process.

The Costa Concordia, was en route to Marseilles, France when it hit a sandbar off the coast of Italy. Most of the passengers on the ship fled the sinking cruise ship on lifeboats and roughly 50 were rescued by helicopters after being trapped on the sinking vessel.

Some passengers leapt into the wintry ocean waters and three died in the process while many others were injured.

Roughly 50 to 70 who were onboard are currently unaccounted for.

All 34 South Koreans onboard, including two Korean staff, were safely evacuated.