Cruise ship sinks in Yangzte River

A massive search is continuing in southern China for
hundreds of tourists feared drowned in a Yangzte River cruise accident.

The 405 passengers, the majority of them aged between 50 and
80 years, were travelling from Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu
Province, to southwest China’s Chongqing city. Five travel agency staff and 47
crew members were also onboard the vessel.

More than 2,100 soldiers and policemen, and 150 ships, are
taking part in the rescue operation which is being led by Premier Li Keqiang.

The ship, named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star), sank at
around 9:28pm on Monday in the Jianli (Hubei Province) section of the Yangtze
River. The captain and the chief engineer, who have been rescued, both claimed
the ship sank quickly after being caught in bad weather.

Media reports say several people who had swum to shore
alerted the police with the help of fishermen. Rescue work has been hampered by
strong winds and heavy rain.

A small number of passengers have been rescued from the
upturned boat, the Xinhua news agency reported, and attempts are being made to
reach others believed trapped in the vessel, which is in 15 metres of water.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, the vessel — which was
76.5 metres long — was capable of carrying up to 534 people, and was owned by a
firm that operated tours in the region of the Three Gorges dam.
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Source: Travel Weekly Asia