were still missing on Tuesday morning,more than a dozen hours after the
vessel sank during a torrential rainstorm along the central Yangtze
River, according to a report by Xinhua, the state news agency.
Just 13 people had been rescued, local news media reported, making this
perhaps the worst passenger maritime disaster in East Asia since the sinking of
the South Korean ferry Sewol last year.
The water where the boat sank is about 50 feet deep. Rescuers could hear the
sounds of people trapped inside, according to a Twitter post by China
Central Television, the main state network. The ship, whose name
translates as Oriental Star, was crossing Hubei Province in the middle of the
country when it sank at 9:28 p.m. on Monday, Xinhua reported, citing the
Yangtze River Navigation Administration. Rescue work was
hampered by strong winds and heavy rain.
Most of the passengers were 50 to 80 years old and had been traveling on a
group tour, according to Hubei Daily. The newspaper reported that one body,
which appeared to be that of a tour guide, had been discovered. Hundreds
of soldiers and police and paramilitary officers were on the scene. More than
100 boats and divers were also there, the newspaper reported. The ship had
capsized, with part of the hull above the surface of the water.
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