The Chinese embassy said Thursday rescuers have recovered the body of a Chinese female passenger drowned after a South Korean ferry capsized, raising the death toll of Chinese nationals in the disaster to three.

A total of four Chinese passengers were on board the ill-fated ship that submerged on April 16 en route from the western port city of Incheon to the southern resort island of Jeju.

Rescuers had already found the bodies of two Chinese male victims. The fourth Chinese national, a middle school girl, remains unaccounted for.