The Latest on China Boat Sinking: Ship cited for violations
Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, June 3, 2015
- Rescuers work on the capsized ship, center, on the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei province Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Hopes dimmed Wednesday for rescuing more than 400 people still trapped in a capsized river cruise ship that overturned in stormy weather, as hundreds of rescuers searched the Yangtze River site in what could become the deadliest Chinese maritime accident in decades. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
7:30 p.m. (1130 GMT)
Maritime agency records show the cruise ship that capsized in the Yangtze River with more than 450 people aboard had been cited for safety violations two years ago.
Authorities in Nanjing held the Eastern Star and five other Yangtze cruise vessels for violations found during a safety inspection campaign.
The report on the city’s Maritime Safety website provided only sketchy details. Among the dozens of violations it found were practices such as failing to use the ship’s automated identification systems. The report didn’t break down the violations by individual vessel or say who owned the other vessels.
Authorities are bound to scrutinize the Eastern Star’s safety record and that of its owner, Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corp., as they investigate why the ship capsized late Monday, leaving more than 420 people unaccounted for. Police have detained the ship’s captain and chief engineer, who were among the few survivors.
Chongqing Eastern Shipping is one of China’s oldest pleasure cruise companies, struggling to compete with newcomers offering much fancier accommodations.
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6:30 p.m. (1030 GMT)
Pope Francis is offering his prayers for the victims of the ship sinking and their families.
During his weekly general audience Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said he wanted to express his solidarity with all Chinese people “in this difficult moment.”
He says he is also praying for the rescue teams trying to recover survivors.
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6 p.m. (1000 GMT)
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV says the bodies of 26 victims have been pulled from the wreckage of the ship and 14 people have survived, some of them by swimming ashore.
The vast majority of the 456 people on board remain missing. Many were elderly tourists taking in the scenic vistas of the Yangtze on a cruise from Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing when the Eastern Star capsized Monday night in stormy weather.
Zhong Shoudao, president of the Chongqing Boat Design Institute, says river ships tend to have a lower standard on wind-resistance and wave-resistance than ocean ships.
“Under the special circumstance of cyclone, the pressure on the one side of the boat went beyond the standard it was designed for, resulting in the overturning of the boat,” he says.
Zhong says that the ship had lifejackets and lifeboats, but due to the sudden capsizing, there was not enough time for people to put on lifejackets or for the signals to be sent out.
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2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT)
Local Communist Party officials and the Foreign Ministry have organized a visit to the wreckage site for foreign journalists.
About four dozen video and photo journalists were taken aboard a China Maritime Safety Administration ship from a launching site downriver to where the overturned hull of the Eastern Star cruise ship is visible.
The journalists, from about 100 to 200 meters away, were able to see the capsized hull jutting out of the water, as well as two large salvage ships and an orange crane that have been brought close to the site. Rescue teams in orange vests were visible, including two rescue workers standing on the hull.
The disaster has drawn considerable attention in Asia and beyond, and the tour is a way for normally reticent Chinese authorities to accommodate foreign media requests for access. Foreign journalists have otherwise been blocked from approaching the disaster site.
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12:15 p.m. (0415 GMT)
More divers are being sent to join the rescue.
Thirteen divers were working at the disaster site Tuesday, and an additional 120 were supposed to have arrived overnight from the provincial capital of Wuhan.
According to the Hubei provincial military region commander, Chen Shoumin, 50 more divers from Guangzhou are due to arrive Wednesday.
The overturned ship has drifted about 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) downstream on the Yangtze River before coming to rest close to shore, where fast currents and strong winds are making the rescue difficult.
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11 a.m. (0300 GMT)
AccuWeather agency says showers, thunderstorms and potentially strong winds will continue in the region over the next 24-36 hours, making rescue efforts more challenging.
The rescue is ongoing in about 15 meter (50 feet) deep water of the Yangtze River, where the Eastern Star cruise ship overturned Monday night with 456 people aboard. Thirteen bodies have been pulled so far and 14 people rescued.
AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Sagliani says a stalled front at the time of the sinking was causing numerous thunderstorms with gusty winds.
China’s state media reported a cyclone with winds of up to 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour was lashing the river at the time.
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9:30 a.m. (0130 GMT)
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV revises the number people on board the cruise ship to 456 when it capsized on Monday night. Originally state media said 458 people — 406 passengers, five travel agency employees and a crew of 47 — were on board.
But CCTV cut that figure by one passenger and one crewmember. No reason was given for the change.
