No more bodies were found on Tuesday as the Eastern Star search and rescue mission on the Yangtze River continued, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Rescuers are searching an area of 22,500 square meters surrounding the site of last week’s fatal incident.
Three suspicious targets had been located, identified and removed by divers as of 1:00 p.m., according to the ministry’s report.
“I found nothing except stones,” said Wang Bibi, one of the six divers.
With 434 bodies recovered, eight people remain missing.
The search and rescue headquarters on Monday said it would move the ship as soon as weather and water conditions are favorable.
More than 4,000 people and 110 vessels have taken part in the search and rescue, Chinese Transport Minister Yang Chuantang was quoted as saying. He added that divers have been called in from all around the country.
The company which operated the ship has apologized for the disaster and said it would “fully” cooperate with the investigation.
Beijing has pledged there would be “no cover-up,” while police have detained the captain and chief engineer for questioning as part of the investigation, Reuters reported, adding that an initial probe found the ship was not overloaded and had enough life vests on board during the worst shipping catastrophe of China in seven decades.
Story by Xinhua