Ill-fated China ship moved up Yangtze

World Today

The capsized Yangtze River cruise ship, the Eastern Star, was moved around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) upstream from the accident site Wednesday morning following concerns the ship may face further damage.

The Eastern Star was pulled by a tugboat to calmer waters and away from the site where capsized on June 1, killing 434 people on board, with eight still missing.

Continuing coverage on CCTV News

The ship would not have been able to withstand heavy rains and strong winds common during the Yangtze River’s flood season due to serious damages from the accident, China’s Ministry of Transport said.

Throughout Tuesday, rescuers had patched many leaks in the hull and moved 10 metric tons of sand bags to the right side of the ship to prevent it from tilting.

Removing the ship from the edge of the main channel will also facilitate navigation on the Yangtze, the ministry said.

As of Tuesday, the Eastern Star had already been moved dozens of meters upstream to allow divers to search for victims at the site.

Families of the victims were invited to claim their lost relatives’ belongings Wednesday at a funeral parlor in Jianli County, central China’s Hubei Province.

Workers have numbered and registered more than 320 items collected from the ship and surrounding area.

The cruise ship, with 456 people on board, was on an 11-day trip along the river when it was overturned in heavy rains. Only 14 people have survived.

Report by Xinhua


Victims’ families are waiting for DNA match

More than a week after the ship capsized, family members are waiting to identify the bodies of relatives.

CCTV America’s Ning Hong filed the report from Jianli, Hubei Province.


Funeral services underway for Yangtze tragedy victims
Funerals of the victims of the Yangtze tragedy was held at the Rongcheng funeral home in Jianli County, Hubei Province. Dozens of morticians helped with the funeral arrangements. CCTV’s Hu Chao filed this report from Jianli, Hubei Province.