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Salvage and rescue personnel have bowed their heads as ship horns blared in tribute to the victims of China's worst shipping disaster in nearly seven decades, after the death toll reached 431.
The solemn ceremony was held in remembrance of those who died and are still missing after the Eastern Star cruise ship carrying 456 people capsized in a storm late on Monday on the Yangtze River.
Searchers in white hooded surgical suits could be seen on board the Eastern Star, while others in work gear, orange safety vests and military-style fatigues formed columns on the decks of massive crane vessels that raised the ill-fated ship out of the water on Friday.
The event, attended by Yang Chuantang, China's transport minister, proceeded under grey and cloudy skies for several minutes as cameras panned over the area, with crews on smaller boats stopped nearby also participating.
Officials on Sunday announced the death toll had risen to 431, with another 11 people still missing.
Only 14 survivors have been confirmed out of all those aboard, who were mostly tourists aged over 60, when the ship capsized at night on the river in the county of Jianli in China's central Hubei province.
Sunday marked a key milestone as, in accordance with traditional custom, relatives of the deceased should mourn their loved ones on the seventh day by Chinese reckoning following their death. The accident occurred on June 1 and Sunday is June 7.
The death toll on Saturday had jumped by more than 200 after rescuers used massive cranes to hoist the vessel out of the water on Friday and began recovering bodies trapped inside.
The tally makes the disaster China's worst in shipping since the Communist Party came to power in 1949. The last time a death toll was higher came in 1948, when up to 4000 on board the SS Kiangya were killed when it sank near Shanghai.
Officials on Saturday extended their search for victims that may have been swept far beyond the accident site. The search scope was extended to 1300 kilometres of the Yangtze, Asia's longest river, in the hope of finding those still unaccounted for, Xinhua reported.
A government spokesman said on Thursday that no further survivors were expected to be found.
Reports have said the 76.5-metre, 2200-tonne ship overturned in under a minute, and weather officials said a freak tornado hit the area at the time.
Searchers prepare to board the Eastern Star. Photo: AFP
Relatives of passengers who were aboard the capsized Eastern Star cruise vessel have called on the central government to tell the truth about the country's deadliest ship disaster in decades and make sure that those held responsible are punished.
The death toll reached 431 on Sunday after disaster-relief teams stabilised the vessel in an upright position and searched it for more bodies.
"Our family is already gone. As relatives, we are still waiting for the final result of the government's investigation," said a woman from Nanjing , whose 65-year-old father, Wang Chuanyu, had boarded the ship with friends.
"Relevant state [departments] must investigate those who should be investigated, hold responsible those who should be held responsible … and punish those who should be punished."
Only 14 of the 456 passengers survived after the ship capsized on the Yangtze River last Monday night in heavy weather.
Hundreds more bodies from the ship were found overnight, Hu Kaihong, the deputy director general of the press bureau of the State Council Information Office, told a news conference.
Family members said they would not accept the apology of Jiang Zhao, the legal representative of the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation, which owns the ill-fated vessel.
Jiang apologised in front of the media in Jianli county, Hubei , where the disaster took place, on Friday evening, describing the accident as "a catastrophe to the company".
But a family member from Changzhou , Jiangsu province, said: "It was merely formalism. He did not even say what his company had done wrong."
Wang Chuanyu's daughter said: "I don't need an apology, I only need the facts. If [they] did not do wrong, [they] don't need to apologise … But if not … we need to know what kind of punishment they will receive."
The State Council has assured family members that it will launch a comprehensive investigation into the accident.
At a meeting on Thursday, the cabinet promised to release accurate information in a timely and transparent manner.
However, no further report on progress has been released.
Zhang Shifeng, an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said during a briefing yesterday that the investigation began right after the tragedy occurred, but it still needed time because "the issue was relatively complicated and involved many aspects".
But no information has been made public on which department is leading the investigation.
Two women cry at a meeting with officials in Jianli county. Photo: Simon Song.
A meeting between more than 100 relatives of victims of the Yangtze River ship disaster and local officials ended in chaos after the families' requests regarding funeral arrangements were rejected.
One woman, trembling in rage, was carried from the venue after a shouting match with an official giving the update.
The families, all from Nanjing in Jiangsu province, want the government to hand over the bodies and provide assistance in making funeral arrangements.
They also said a memorial should be erected where the Eastern Star capsized in bad weather on Monday night, or in Nanjing, its port of origin.
The meeting was the third time the relatives met city officials who had travelled to Jianli county to help coordinate the response effort to the accident, which claimed over 400 lives. Many of the victims were elderly.
The meeting was led by the deputy chief of the Nanjing Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhao Jun , in a local government conference hall. The family members want the government to make an exception to the law and allow them to take the bodies back to their ancestral hometowns.
But Zhao said the central government had a unified arrangement for the bodies, which was to cremate them in Jianli. The relatives have asked the city government to provide cemetery places, saying they had already taken a week off work and had little time to make the arrangements themselves. But Zhao said some families had already reserved burial plots given the relatives were elderly.
Nor could the municipal government authorise any memorial site because it would require special approval from the central government.
Only one request was approved with the help of the county government, which was for the families to visit the riverside behind layers of police lines to perform religious rituals on t ouqi, or the seventh day after death. However, they must do it far from the recovery site and just a small number would be allowed in at one time.
Disaster response workers inspect the ship. Photo: EPA
When asked by a family member to explain further, Zhao stuck to his previous line about obeying regulations and state policies.
"If this is all you can talk about, it's better you don't speak at all!" one family member shouted from the seats.
"I haven't finished talking yet … If you want to [speak], than you speak, I won't talk anymore," Zhao said, throwing up his hands.
His remark enraged the audience. "What kind of attitude is that?" one relative said.
Another woman shouted: "What kind of person are you? The Jianli government has treated us well! What have you done?
"You should apologise to all of us for what you just said!" the woman continued. Other relatives agreed.
Relatives burn offerings near the scene of the accident. Photo: EPA
Zhao tried to explain himself, but the woman began to cry and shake violently. Zhao made his way to her and tried to talk to her, but she refused to hear him. She was carried out of the room accompanied by other relatives, and the meeting ended in discord.
Deputy Mayor Hu Wanjin met the families on Thursday after they pressed the Jianli county government for help. Their second meeting was held on Friday after dozens had gathered outside a press conference.
They reached an agreement with Hu on Friday to meet Nanjing officials daily to learn about the latest developments in the recovery effort and arrangements for the bodies. Many family members have complained of a lack of timely information from the government.
It is not known whether any more meetings will be held after yesterday's meeting went out of control.
Yangtze River boat disaster: death toll jumps as company says sorry
Date June 7, 2015 - 11:56AM
Megha Rajagopalan
Jianli, China: The death toll from a Chinese cruise ship which capsized during a storm in the Yangtze River has jumped to 406, leaving fewer than 50 still missing, as the boat operator apologised and said it would co-operate with investigations.
Only 14 survivors, one of them the captain, have been found after the ship carrying 456 overturned in a freak tornado on Monday night.
A family member of a passenger on the capsized ship Eastern Star cries at a government briefing. Photo: Reuters
A day after enormous cranes righted the overturned Oriental Star and lifted its four decks above the water line, officials said they had completed recovery work in the vessel and started DNA testing to identify the nearly 400 bodies that had been taken to mortuaries in Jianli, the riverside city in central Hubei province that is the focus of the recovery efforts.
With recovery work complete, the state broadcaster, China Central Television, said investigators would begin examining the ship in an effort to determine the cause of the accident, one of Asia's worst maritime disasters in decades.
Jiang Zhao, general manager of the company which operated the Eastern Star, bowed in apology for the disaster during an interview with state media, saying they would "fully" co-operate with the investigation.
The Eastern Star was lifted out of the Yangtze River on Friday. Photo: AFP
"From the very moment this happened I have been immersed in sorrow," Jiang told state television.
Beijing has pledged there would be "no cover-up" in the probe.
Police have detained the captain and chief engineer for questioning as part of the investigation. An initial probe found the ship was not overloaded and had enough life vests on board.
The disaster has now caused a higher toll than the sinking of a ferry in South Korea in April 2014 that killed 304 people, most of them children on a school trip. It is also China's worst shipping catastrophe in seven decades.
More than 1400 family members have come to Jianli in the central province of Hubei, where the ship went down, with many expressing frustration at the lack of information from the government.
The government says it is doing everything possible to help the relatives, including providing free accommodation and medical services, and on Saturday state television ran an interview with a tearful family member saying how happy she was with all their help.
Peng Jun, head of Hubei province's civil affairs bureau, told reporters the treatment of the families was "meticulous".
As for the crematorium, which some family members had tried in vain to enter to see the bodies of their loved ones, he said it had a reception centre that would work with families.
Authorities would work to "satisfy their reasonable demands, and provide all conveniences to them", he said.
But relatives have expressed concern about security apparently being aimed at them, including the number of police cars parked outside of hotels where they are staying.
On Saturday morning, a daily government briefing for family members was cut short after an argument broke out with a representative of the local government. One woman was carried out of the briefing after she fainted.
"There is no information at all. Everyday we're here procrastinating, wasting time. There's no clear-cut answers, there's no progress to inform us of," said Wang Shuang, 24, whose mother and uncle were on the boat.
The government is bringing in equipment to store the bodies, many of which are in an advanced state of decomposition, as well as DNA experts to help with identification.
In a sign of respect for the victims, Xinhua news agency reported that state television will suspend certain programs and advertisements that "highlight celebrations" for the next three days.
Relatives of the dead mourn during a ceremony marking the seven days since the Eastern Star went down in the Jianli section of the Yangtze River in Hubei. Photo: Reuters
Family members of those who died in the Eastern Star disaster and rescue workers bowed in mourning towards the battered cruise ship yesterday, the seventh day of a tragedy that has killed at least 432 passengers and left another 10 missing.
In addition to a government-held ceremony, some family members of the dead performed their own rituals. On the northern bank of the Yangtze River in Yanpu village, Jianli county in Hubei province, about three dozen relatives wailed in grief under an overcast sky.
The boat capsized in stormy weather last Monday night, and yesterday was touqi - the seventh day after death. It is traditionally believed this is the day the departed overcome the initial confusion after death and return to bid farewell to their family.
Family members arrived at the riverside in one group after another, under the direction of government workers from Jianli county. Dozens of white chrysanthemums were thrown into the water. Relatives burned incense, ghost money and other offerings, wishing their loved ones well. Bouquets, bowls of rice and fruit were scattered for kilometres along the bank, while the smell of incense lingered in the air.
More than 10km downstream, hundreds of rescuers and government officials bowed in mourning towards the Eastern Star during a three-minute silence at about 9am.
Rescuers in full body protection suits work on the formerly capsized and now rightened Eastern Star tourist ship. Photo: EPA
Ships at the scene sounded their horns.
A military doctor, who has been at the site since Tuesday, said he had never seen so many bodies carried from the scene of a tragedy in just a few days. He has helped rescue operations for 30 years and assisted the response to major earthquakes in the mainland's west.
"The bodies were all soaked with water, which had filled their stomachs. They were so much heavier than normal bodies. At first we deployed four people to carry one body on the stretcher, but it wasn't enough. Later we deployed six, and in the end eight," he said.
Rescuers in protection suits clean the stuff left on board of the capsized Dongfangzhixing. Photo: Simon Song
Authorities are comparing the DNA of victims and immediate family members. After a match is confirmed, the relatives can view the bodies before they are cremated.
"Until now, I couldn't believe this had happened to me and my family. I hope it will never happen to others. Only we ourselves can understand this kind of pain," said a woman, whose 65-year-old father was among the dead.
People light candles to pray for victims of the Eastern Star cruise ship which capsized in the Jianli section of the Yangtze River on June 7, 2015. Photo: Reuters
Locals have shown hospitality to the hundreds of grieving visitors who have arrived during the past week. More than 300 taxis and 1,500 private cars have volunteered to drive family members around without charge, while residents have offered up their own rooms after all the hotels in town became fully booked.
Officers and soldiers stand in silent tribute to those who died aboard the Eastern Star. Photo: Xinhua
The structural soundness of the Eastern Star cruise ship that capsized in the Yangtze River last week has come under renewed scrutiny after local media detailed several changes that had been made to the vessel.
A number of modifications were made to the ship in 1997, which could have affected its stability and increased its risk of capsizing, The Beijing News reported yesterday.
The death toll in the June 1 tragedy - China's worst modern shipping disaster - stood at 434 after a thorough search of the vessel in Jianli county, Hubei province, over the weekend.
Eight people remain missing. Authorities said they would search downstream as far as Shanghai.
At least two of the 14 survivors, including Anhui tour guide Jiang Geng and sailor Chen Shuhan, were discharged from hospital yesterday, Xinhua reported.
According to The Beijing News, changes to the ship included having the guest cabins enlarged by enclosing the exterior decks along the length of the vessel with walls and windows.
Exits to the decks were removed, and the cabins led out only to an enclosed corridor after the modification.
The report cited sources from Dongfang Shipping, which owns the Eastern Star, and a former security guard on the vessel.
Internal metal bulkheads were replaced with wooden ones, and fixed metal double-deck beds were replaced with non-fixed wooden ones, it said.
Xinhua earlier reported a survivor's account that his bed started to slide and blocked the room door when the ship tilted. The Beijing News report said sliding furniture made the ship more vulnerable to capsizing.
The revamp also made the originally flat bow pointed, which a source said was to lower the ship's air resistance to save fuel. The vessel's length increased from 66 metres to 76.5 metres.
The report said the shipbuilder, a Dongfang subsidiary that used to build cargo ships, bought the hull from a qualified builder and installed the superstructure in the early 1990s. The shipyard that undertook the modifications went out of business in 2005.
Meanwhile, survivor Yu Zhengwei, who worked at the Eastern Star's snack shop and was washed 20km downstream, told the Information Times that he and his wife, who was on board as well, had also survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that killed 88,000 people.
At a morgue in Jianli yesterday, family members wept openly as they arrived to send off their loved ones for the last time.
Authorities identified victims from relatives' DNA samples.
The Eastern Star after it was righted last week. Photo: Xinhua
China has assembled a 60-strong team to probe last week’s river cruise ship sinking following orders from President Xi Jinping to find the cause of the country’s worst maritime disaster in nearly seven decades.
Just 14 people survived the capsizing of the Eastern Star on the evening of June 1 amid heavy rain and wind as it was carrying 456 people, many of them elderly tourists, on a cruise to the Yangtze River port of Chongqing.
The authorities have attributed the sinking to a freak storm that generated tornado-like winds, but also have placed the surviving captain and his first engineer in police custody.
Extensive interviews have been conducted with surviving crew members, witnesses, those who designed and modified the ship and others, state broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday. Sixty specialists have been gathered for the investigative team, the report said.
Video footage and other evidence have been obtained from the ship, and weather, radar and other data was being analysed for indications of what went wrong.
The disaster left 442 people dead or missing.
Passengers’ relatives have raised questions about whether the ship should have continued its voyage despite a weather warning after the storm started in a river section in Hubei province. The actions of the captain in the final 12 minutes before the sinking have come under scrutiny, with reports saying he altered speed and course in an attempt to manage the pressure on the ship.
Forensic teams have been using DNA samples from relatives to identify the remains, and more than 200 matches have been made.
Along with the weather, investigators are expected to focus on alternations carried out on the ship in 1997 that lengthened it and may have altered its centre of gravity, according to a report this week in the official newspaper The Beijing News.
The remains of the ship, which was righted and raised in a swift operation last week, has been shifted to a new site away from river shipping where it can be stabilised.
