Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai (C) condoles with relatives of the victims of the capsized ship Eastern Star in Jianli, central China's Hubei Province, June 6, 2015. (Xinhua/Hao Tongqian)
Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai extended condolences Saturday to relatives of the victims of the capsized cruise ship Eastern Star in Jianli in central Hubei Province. [Special coverage]
Ma said he was entrusted by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to visit the relatives and mourn the victims.
He told the relatives of the victims that the government sympathized with them and would do its utmost to handle the incident and its aftermath.
The 2,200-tonne Eastern Star was carrying 456 people on an 11-day trip along the Yangtze River when it was capsized by a tornado near Jianli on Monday night.
The death toll from the sinking climbed to 396 Saturday.
