File photo of the ship named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star) which sank Monday night in the Hubei section of China's Yangtze River. (Photo/China Daily)
A passenger ship carrying 458 people sank Monday night in the Hubei section of China's Yangtze River, with more than 20 having been rescued, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.[Special coverage]
The luxury cruise ship, named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star), sank at around 9:28 pm in the Shishou (Hubei Province) section of the Yangtze River, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.
The captain and the chief engineer, who have been rescued, both claimed the ship sank quickly after being caught in a cyclone.
It was heading from Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, to southwest China's Chongqing city.
There were 397 Chinese tourists, five travel agency workers and 45 crew members aboard, according to the administration.
More than 20 people have been rescued, CCTV reported. More than ten rescue ships are searching for the survivors, Yangtze River navigation administration said.
Rescue work is hampered by strong wind and heavy rain.
The ship is 76.5 meters long, 11 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep. It can carry as many as 534 people.
UPDATES
16:12 pm: 'Uncertain tornado'
Zhang Zuqiang,Director of Department of Emergency Response, Disaster Mitigation and Public Services of China Meteorological Administration, said in the latest news conference that they were still uncertain whether there had been a sudden tornado, but what can be certain is that the area experienced severe weather. He said China Meteorological Administration has sent experts to Hubei province to conduct further investigation.
15:40 pm: Another male passenger saved
According to the Ministry of Transport, another male passenger was rescued at 15:10 pm and he is now in a stable condition. Divers continue to search for more survivors.
15:15 pm: Premier Li tells rescuers to redouble efforts
Premier Li Keqiang urged rescue team to continue searching for survivors without letup after a 65-year-old woman was rescued.
14:26 pm: Travel agency defends its credentials
More than 400 tourists on board were organized by Shanghai Xiehe Travel Agency, Beijing News reported. Shanghai tourism authorities said the agency has no problem with its credentials.
13:55 pm: More divers added to rescue team
The Navy has rallied more than 140 divers to search for the missing.
13:44 pm: Key figure - another five found alive
Divers find another five passengers inside the ship after the woman in her 60s was rescued. They are racing against time to rescue them.
13:35 pm: Woman in her 60s rescued
See more photos: Elderly tourist rescued from capsized ship
At 12:56 pm, maritime search and rescue center said that divers have successfully rescued a woman in her 60s. She has been lifted to safety by a stretcher and is being treated by medical staff. She broke into tears and uttered "thank you, thank you" to rescuers, according to the teams at the scene.
13:29 pm: Passenger manifest released
The complete manifest of passengers has been released, with the oldest at more than 80 years old and the youngest born in 2012. Most of them were born in 1940s and 1950s, which mean they are in their 60s or 70s.
13:28 pm: Key figure - 12 people rescued
By 11:10 am, 17 people have been pulled from water, with 12 of them alive and 5 bodies, reported Hubei Daily.
13:19 pm: Premier Li arrives at the site
Premier Li Keqiang arrived Tuesday in Jianli of Hubei province to supervise rescue and search operation.
Li boarded a vessel and came close to the ship wreck site to discuss how to rescue the passengers trapped underwater.
12:26 pm: Meteorological authorities: weather to blame for the accident
According to meteorological department of Hubei province, the accident may have been caused by local gale whipped up by a tornado. Based on monitoring data, the maximun wind speed in Jianli county reached 16.4 meters per second and the wind force hit level 12 at the night on June 1.
It also predicts moderate or heavy rain today with light northerly wind. The rain will lessen in following days. The weather is being monitored closedly to help the rescue work.
12:05 pm: Geological expert missed the ship due to heart disease
Yin Jiaheng, a geological expert in Najing, told reporters that he had planned to travel with the family of an ex-classmate on the ship, but cancelled the trip due to heart diseases.
11:39 am: Three bodies retrieved
Three bodies have been retrieved, with two of them men and one woman, according to the official weibo account of Blue Sky Rescue Team.
11:36 am: Background of the cruise operator
The wrecked ship belongs to a State-owned enterprise called "Chongqing Eastern Shipping Company" in Chongqing which was registered on Oct 30, 1981, with registered assets of 41.6 million yuan ($6.71 million).
It operates passenger transportation fron Chongqing to Nanjing on the Yangtze River. In 2014, the company had total assets of 89.75 million yuan, with 184 million liabilities and 1.33 net margin.
11:28 am: Second body found
A second body has been found meters away the first victim and it is being salvaged by rescuers, according to Blue Sky Rescue Team.
11:04 am: Shipping routes not affected by incident
CCTV said the ship drifted three kilometers after it capsized. Currently the shipping route on the Yangtze River is not affected but restrictions have been imposed to help the rescue operation.
10:53 am: Twelve hours have passed since the ship sank
According to maritime experts, the first four hours is crucial to finding survivors. The current situation does not look very optimistic as 12 hours have passed since the passenger ship overturned.
10:51 am: Captain, chief engineer detained
The captain and the chief engineer have been detained by local police with Yangtze River navigation.
10:44 am: Helicopters sent
Airborne forces have sent helicopters to the ship wreck site.
10:27 am: Travel agency publishes contact info
The travel agency has published emergency call number: 13983654321.
The phone number of the Yangtze River navigation administration: 027-82418021
10:26 am: Regions of passengers
Among the passengers, 97 are from Shanghai, 204 from Jiangsu, 11 from Zhejiang, 43 from Tianjin, 23 from Shandong, 19 from Fujian, and 8 from Anhui, Hubei Daily cited tourism agencies as saying. In addition, there were 47 crew members and five tourist guides.
10:25 am: Thousands take part in rescue
More than 2,100 soldiers and policemen, more than 1,000 civilians, more than 150 ships have taken part in rescue operation.
10:24 am: Body retrieved, 7 swam to shore to alert police
CCTV said that the rescuers have retrieved a body who is believed to be a tourist guide. Seven people swam to the shore to call the police when the tragedy happened.
10:23 am: Survivors located inside ship
Divers found that somebody replying when they knocked on the ship wreck underwater, officials with the Yangtze River navigation administration told Hubei Daily.
10:17 am: China Life Insurance rushes to site
Hubei branch of China Life Insurance has launched an emergency response and has set up a team to provide direct compensation.
10:04 am: Three survivors located inside ship
Three survivors have been able to contact rescuers from inside the ship, cnhubei.com reported.
9:57 am: Travel agency publishes contact info
The travel agency has published emergency call number: 13983654321.
The phone number of the Yangtze River navigation administration: 027-82418021.
9:52 am: Regions of passengers
Among the passengers, 97 are from Shanghai, 204 from Jiangsu, 11 from Zhejiang, 43 from Tianjin, 23 from Shandong, 19 from Fujian, and 8 from Anhui, Hubei Daily cited tourism agencies as saying. In addition, there were 47 crew members and five tourist guides.
9:15 am: Thousands take part in rescue
More than 2,100 soldiers and policemen, more than 1,000 civilians, more than 150 ships have taken part in rescue operation.
09:12 am: Body retrieved, 7 swam to shore to alert police
CCTV said that the rescuers have retrieved a body who is believed to be a tourist guide. Seven people swam to the shore to call the police when the tragedy happened.
9:09 am: Survivors located inside ship
Divers found that somebody replied when they knocked on the ship wreck underwater, officials with the Yangtze River navigation administration told Hubei Daily.
8:53 am: About 1,000 firefighters, 54 ships take part in rescue operation
Nearly 1,000 firefighters and 54 ships have taken part in the rescue operation, cnhubei.com reported.
8:52 am: 9 have been rescued
Xinhuanet.com reported that by 8:00 am nine people have been rescued.
8:46 am: Divers have arrived for underwater operation
CCTV said that divers have arrived at the scene for underwater operation.
8:45 am: 300 soldiers rush to accident site
Nearly 300 soldier from Jingzhou, Hubei province have arrived to help in rescue operation.
8:35 am: 12 have been rescued
By 7:26 am, 12 people have been rescued, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.
8:25 am: Rescue headquarters to hold news conference this morning
The rescue operations headquarters will hold a news conferece in Jianli county, Hubei province, this morning. The news conference has been organized by Hubei province and the spokespeople will be a deputy directer with the Yangtze River navigation administration, who is also a deputy commander-in-chief of the operation.
8:11 am: Bottom of ship wreck emerges
The bottom of the ship wreck has emerged to the surface of the river. By 8:00 am 34 official rescue ships and several passing ships have been carrying out rescue operation. CCTV said there were 458 people onboard, with 406 getting onboard in Nanjing. More than 100 tourists were organized by a travel agency in Nanjing. Other travellers were organized by agencies in Suzhou, Changzhou, etc.
8:10 am: Ship sinks amid storm
The accident took place when the cyclone was at level 12 on the Beaufort scale table, which means the wind came at a speed of more than 64 kilometers per hour, according to the meteorological agency.
7:52 am: Premier asks officials to do best to minimize deaths
Premier Li Keqiang has asked Ministry of Transport and other relevant departments to try their best in rescue operation and minimize the death toll as much as possible. He also asked the rescued should be treated in a timely manner. The Ministry of Transport has started the first level emergency response and coordinated several ships to carry out the rescue operation. The State Council said the boat capsized due to storm.
7:41 am: More than 20 people have been rescued
More than 20 people have been rescued, according to Xinhua News Agency. There were 458 on board, with 406 of them tourists.
7:34 am: Ship wreck is located
Ths ship wreck has been located in 15-meter-deep water, ifeng.com reported.
7:32 am: Most passengers are seniors aged 50-80
Most of the passengers are group tourists aged between 50 and 80 organized by a travel agency in Shanghai, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.
7:20 am: Ship lies upside down
The ship capsized in just one or two minutes after being caught in a cyclone and lay upside down, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration. Most people onboard were about to sleep. It did not send out a distress call when the tragedy happened. The ship is submerged upside down and it is difficult to carry out rescue operation.
7:04 am
Premier Li Keqiang is leaving for Jianli county of Hubei province to supervise the rescue operation. Officials who will go with him include Deputy Premier Ma Kai and State Councilor Yang Jing.
6:52 am
35 people have been rescued, ifeng.com reported.
