Official death toll jumps to almost 400 in Yangtze River capsizing

The death toll in China’s Eastern Star capsizing rose to almost 400 on Saturday as disaster teams searched the boat for bodies a day after pulling it upright and raising it from the gray currents of the Yangtze River. State media outlets said hundreds more bodies were found overnight and Saturday, bringing the death toll of 396. Authorities have attributed the overturning of the river cruise ship on Monday to sudden, severe winds, but have also placed the captain and first engineer under police custody. Relatives of those on board clashed with police earlier this week, and angry scenes occurred at an official press conference in Jianli on Friday.

What we have received are the words, selected wisely, which are full of untruths.

An elderly relative of one of the victims, who spoke to reporters briefly before officials escorted her away

The boat had more than 450 people aboard, many of them elderly tourists, for a cruise from Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing. Only fourteen survived, and a total of 46 people were still missing. Disaster teams put chains around the hull and used cranes to roll the banged-up, white and blue boat upright and then gradually lift it out of the Yangtze on Friday. Passengers’ relatives have raised questions about whether the ship should have continued its cruise after the storm started and despite a weather warning earlier in the evening.

Asia-Pacific