The ship, named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star), sank at around 9:28 pm in the Jianli (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 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members aboard, according to the administration.
Eight people have been rescued.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a work team of the State Council to rush to the site to guide search and rescue work, and ordered Hubei, Chongqing and relevant parties to carry out all-out search and rescue efforts and properly handle the aftermath.
He also ordered beefing up public safety measures and ensuring the safety of people's lives.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has instructed a work team of the State Council to rush to the site to guide search and rescue work and ordered the Ministry of Transport and other relevant parties to moblize all resources available to speed up the search and rescue work and the treatment of the rescued victims.
On behalf of Xi, Li Keqiang has left for the site of the accident to direct rescue and emergency handling affairs.
Rescue work is hampered by strong wind and heavy rain.
Xinhua -globaltimes.cn
2/6/15
Hundreds missing as China ship sinks...
ReplyDeleteFive people are dead and hundreds are missing after a ship carrying more than 450 people capsized on the Yangtze River in China's Hubei province.
The ship is floating upside down in a wide stretch of river - state media said rescuers tapping the hull had heard calls for help from inside.
The boat, the Eastern Star, reportedly sent no emergency signal.
Media reports say the alarm was raised by several people who had swum to shore and alerted the police.
Only about 12 people have been rescued so far, and some with minor injuries have been taken to hospital, said state media. Rescue work has been hampered by strong winds and heavy rain.
The BBC's Jo Floto in Beijing says that China has not seen a disaster on such a scale for a long time.
The government has exerted huge control over information coming out from the scene, with local journalists stopped from getting close to the scene, he adds.
BBC