OVERNIGHT DISASTER
This is high season for ship tours in the region, and for the survivors, what was supposed to be a memorable cruise has turned into a nightmare.
Zhang Hui, a tour guide from Shanghai, was found by rescuers 20 kilometers away from the accident site at about 6:50 a.m. Tuesday.
"I remember being in the water after the ship sank. I tried my best to swim to shore before calling for help," Zhang said.
A rescue center in Yueyang in neighboring Hunan Province, received an alarm call from the crew of another boat who saw two people in the water at 10:10 p.m. Monday. The center responded by sending a patrol boat, which picked up the two survivors at 11:51 p.m., one of whom claimed he was the captain of the Eastern Star.
Wang Yangsheng, from the Yueyang Rescue Center, said the incident happened "so fast that the captain did not even have the time to send out a distress signal".
On Tuesday morning, relatives gathered at the dock where the ship departed last week, waiting anxiously for news.
Zou Haiyan, a retired teacher who remains missing, was on the ship with her former colleagues. Her son and husband went to the port early on Tuesday morning.
"My mom called my father at 7:30 p.m. Monday but I could not connect to her phone when I tried to call again later on Monday night," said her son Zhu Ning.
The 11-day tour covers the Three Gorges, and calls at site of the Battle of Chibi and an ancient city in Jingzhou, which passengers were scheduled to visit on Tuesday morning.
FREAK WEATHER
The public is baffled as to how a big boat like the Eastern Star could sink so quickly.
Bad weather is possibly to blame, and similar accidents have been reported in the Yangtze estuary and on the Pearl River in south China, said Cai Cunqiang, a shipping expert with Shanghai Maritime University.
"It is rainy season along the Yangtze River, which often features thunderstorms," Cai said. "In such circumstances, a tornado could blow up and sink a cruise ship within minutes."
The China Meteorological Administration discovered that a tornado appeared Monday night on the section of the Yangtze River where the accident happened.
Meteorologist Dou Xinying said tornados were hard to predict and if one struck, there would be very little time to evacuate the ship.
"A vessel like the Eastern Star has a big hull, making it susceptible to strong winds," Duo said.
While rescue work continues, netizens are saying prayers for those onboard the ship.
"My heart is broken," commented one Weibo user, "Wangyuanbeichenzhan".
"Please stay strong my friends, we are waiting for your safe return," the comment continued.
