Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Hundreds missing as China ship sinks

Five 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 submerged upside down in a wide stretch of the river - state media said divers tapping the hull could heard survivors trapped inside. The boat reportedly did not send out an SOS signal before sinking.

Media reports say several people who had swum to shore alerted the police with the help of fishermen.

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. 

Thousands of soldiers and rescue personnel have been deployed, and a high-powered salvage ship is on the way to pull the boat upright, reported China Central Television (CCTV).

The captain and the chief engineer, who were both rescued, have been detained by police. 

They were quoted earlier as saying that the boat had been caught in a cyclone and sank within minutes. Many people were reportedly asleep at the time.

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