The ship, carrying more than 450 people, departed from the eastern Chinese city Nanjing and was bound for Chongqing Municipality in southwest China. It sank after being caught in a cyclone at around 9:28 p.m. Monday in the Jianli (Hubei Province) section of the Yangtze River.
So far, a total of 15 people have been rescued from the capsized ship, and another five were confirmed dead. Rescuers said there could be more survivors.
Divers who just rescued a 20-year-old man from the ship said it took them a long time to get out due to the ship's complicated structure.
Premier Li Keqiang asked the rescuers to seize every second, battle fatigue and challenge extremes.
Li asked the authorities to update media of the latest progress every hour.
Rescuers are still battling strong winds and downpour to hunt for the missing.
A maritime rescue center in Yueyang reported they received a call from a boat saying they saw two people struggling in the storm on the river at 10: 10 p.m. on Monday. The center immediately sent a patrol boat to assist. The two were rescued at 11:51 p.m. Monday.
The ship measuring 76.5 meters long, 11 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep can carry up to 534 people. Tickets for the cruise cost between 1,098 yuan (177 US dollars) to 2,298 yuan. Each room has air-conditioning, a private bathroom and TV.
Passengers are allowed to visit attractions during the daytime and return in the evening as the ship travels to the next port overnight. The agency arranging the tour marketed it toward senior citizen group travel.
On Monday, tourists visited Chibi, or Red Cliffs, which is a famous ancient battlefield. On Tuesday, if the accident did not happen, the tourists would visit Jingzhou City, which boasts China's best preserved ancient walls.
Families of the passengers in the shipwreck gathered at the travel agency's outlet in Nanjing, which shut its doors on Tuesday, leaving a notice asking people to contact the ship company for more information of those aboard the ship.
A woman surnamed Yuan said her mother-in-law joined the tour along with three of her friends. She heard of the accident via the Internet and came to the agency at 6 a.m., but couldn't find anybody to speak with.
The Nanjing Municipal Tourist Commission has settled the families of shipwreck passengers in a local hotel and is planning to bring them to the rescue scene.
Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
2/6/15
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14 rescued after Yangtze sinking, over 400 missing ...
ReplyDeleteFourteen people have been rescued and five were confirmed dead after a passenger ship carrying over 450 people capsized in China's Yangtze River, said Yang Chuantang, minister of transport on Tuesday.
The ship was bound for Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, from the eastern Chinese city Nanjing. It sank after being caught in a cyclone at around 9:28 pm Monday on the Jianli section of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province.
Latest statistics from the Ministry of Transport shows that there were a total of 456 people onboard, including 405 passengers, 46 crew members and five tourist guides.
Three divers found one 21-year-old man in a small compartment Tuesday afternoon, he was given diving apparatus and was able to swim out by himself. The divers said rescue efforts have been complicated by the intricate layout of the vessel, as well as strong wind and heavy rain...............www.globaltimes.cn/content/925013.shtml
2/6/15
Capsized Chinese ship cited 2 years ago for safety violations...
ReplyDeleteEastern Star, the cruise ship that capsized in the Yangtze river with more than 450 people aboard, was cited for safety violations two years ago, records from a Chinese maritime agency show.
Authorities in Nanjing, where the Eastern Star began its unfortunate voyage, held the ship and five other Yangtze cruise vessels for violating standards during a safety inspection campaign in 2013, according to a report on the city's Maritime Safety website.
The report provided only sketchy details. Among the dozens of violations among the vessels were practices such as failing to use the ship's automated identification systems. It didn't break down the violations by individual vessel or say who owned the other vessels........AP..........ctvnews.ca
4/6/15