Ship carrying over 400 capsizes on Yangtze River, central China

World Today

A ship sailing on Yangtze River capsized and sank on Monday at 11 p.m. local time due to cyclone conditions in central China’s Hubei province.

The ship began the trip in Nanjing heading to Chongqing carrying 458 people, including 406 Chinese tourists, five tour agency staff and 47 crew members. jianli county MAP The accident occurred at the Damazhou waterway in the middle reaches of Yangtze River, according to the Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration (MSA). The MSA and Changjiang Waterway have begun rescue the rescue mission and have saved eight people so far, including the captain and the chief engineer.


Both said that the ship sank quickly after being caught in a cyclone.

The ship, known as the Eastern Star, is 76.5 meters long (251 feet), 11 meters wide (36 feet) and 3.1 meters deep (10.2 feet) and is capable of carrying a maximum of 534 people.

This luxury yacht is owned by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation. The company was established in 1967 and focuses on tourism routes in the Three Gorges region.

According to the latest report from the China Weather Network, the amount of precipitation in the area of the accident reached 150.6 mm (6 inches) in last 24 hours. Rescue work has been hampered by strong wind and heavy rain. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is heading to the accident site.

Story compiled by CCTV America’s Digital Unit with information from CCTV News in China and Xinhua.