The captain of the South Korean Sewol ferry, which sank last April and claimed the lives of 304 passengers, was found guilty of negligence and sentenced to 36 years in prison on Tuesday.

The ship's captain, Lee Jun Seok, 69, had abandoned the passengers knowing full well they were waiting for instructions from the crew, said Judge Lim Joung Youb, as he underscored Lee's failure to take the necessary steps to save his passengers.

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The ruling, which concluded the five-month trial of 15 of the ship's crew, triggered outrage from several of the victims' families who were seeking a murder conviction with death penalty, Reuters relayed.

Angered relatives questioned the verdict and called it "nonsense."

One of the victims' fathers had even shouted at the judge to have the defendants freed instead so they could punish them themselves.

Three of the ship's senior crew - first mate Kang Won Sik, second mage Kim Young Ho, and head engineer Park Gi Ho - were given sentences of 15 to 30 years, while the rest were handed 5- to 10-year prison sentences for criminal negligence and accidental homicide, according to the New York Times.

During the trial, all 15 crew members tearfully apologized for their actions. However, they insisted that it was never their intention to commit murder.

Lee expressed regret for abandoning the passengers and claimed he deserved to die for committing such an act, but denied he set out to sacrifice their lives to save himself.

The tragedy has sparked nationwide grief and fury following disclosure of the ferry operator's mismanagement and emergency response lapses.

The casualties could have been reduced if not for the crew members' repeated instructions to stay aboard the vessel. Footage of the incident showing the entire crew boarding the coast guard's first rescue boat at the scene drew public criticism and outrage and raised questions on the country's safety standards.

South Korea's coast guard is expected to undergo a complete overhaul to upgrade operations, particularly with regard to swift response time in cases of emergency.

Out of the Sewol ferry's 476 passengers, 304 were confirmed dead or missing, 250 of whom were school children.

TagsSewol Ferry, Lee Jun Seok, South Korean coast guard, safety standards