Chinese officials and rescuers bowed in mourning towards a battered cruise ship which capsized during a storm in the Yangtze River, as the death toll from the disaster reached 406 on Sunday, leaving fewer than 40 still missing. Only 14 survivors, one of them the captain, have been found after the ship carrying 456 overturned in a freak tornado on Monday night in Jianli in Hubei province. Most of the passengers were elderly tourists. The four-storied ship was righted and raised on Friday, allowing rescuers onto it to clear away debris, break down cabin doors and look for the remaining missing. The river is being swept to as far away as Shanghai looking for the missing. Sunday marks seven days since the Eastern Star went down, and according to Chinese tradition this a key date on which to mourn the dead. State television showed rescue workers and government officials standing on a barge facing the Eastern Star, removing their hats and bowing their heads, as surrounding boats sounded … [Read more...] about China cruise ship death toll exceeds 400, victims mourned
Cruise ships sinking
Cruise ship sinks in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, 12 foreigners rescued
A cruise ship with 12 foreigners on board sank in Ha Long Bay due to violent winds in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Thursday afternoon but all of them were saved, according to local authorities. Tung Trang cruise ship #QN2477 was hit by powerful winds amid a downpour in the Ba Hang area, near Ga Choi Isle in the bay. … [Read more...] about Cruise ship sinks in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, 12 foreigners rescued
Cruise ship sinks in Saigon River
A two-storey cruise ship owned by Din Ky resort in the southern province of Binh Duong, sank in the Saigon River at 7:00 pm on May 20. Ten guests including some children are still reported missing and until now, only twelve persons have been rescued. By late evening of May 20, a heavy downpour and strong winds lashed at the ship and overturned the vessel. At 10:00pm, the ship had sunk to the bottom of the river and completely disappeared. Vu Van Hung, a survivor, said 12 guests aboard the ship were attending a birthday party of a 3-year-old child named Quach Hong Dat, son of Quach Luong Tai. When the incident happened, the rescue team transferred some guests to the shore while the other 20 guests and staff stayed on the boat. On the same day, at Truong Tho Port in Thu Duc District, 100 containers collapsed and sank into the river. Many people in the region observed that the containers were placed too close to the rivers edge. Fortunately, the incident occurred at night so … [Read more...] about Cruise ship sinks in Saigon River
One dead, 102 missing after ship sinks in Russia’s Volga river
One woman was killed and some 102 others were missing after a cruise ship "Bulgaria" carrying 188 sank in Volga river Sunday, the Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry spokeswoman confirmed. Photo released by Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry shows rescuers search for the missing people after the cruise ship "Bulgaria" carrying 188 sank in Volga river near the village of Syukeyevo in the Kansko-Ustinovsky district of Russian republic of Tatarstan, July 10, 2011. One woman was killed and some 102 others were missing after a cruise ship "Bulgaria" carrying 188 sank in Volga river Sunday, the Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry spokeswoman confirmed. (Xinhua/Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry) Irina Andrianova told Itar-Tass that the latest information showed that 85 people have been rescued by 21:00 local time (1700 GMT), two of them were hospitalized. All of the rescued were picked up by a passing ship "Arabella", she said. Andrianova confirmed that there were … [Read more...] about One dead, 102 missing after ship sinks in Russia’s Volga river
Cruise ship sinks on Saigon River, 15 missing
VietNamNet Bridge - A two-storey cruise ship of Din Ky resort in the southern province Binh Duong was overturned around 7:00pm (local time) yesterday on Saigon river. 15 guests of a birthday party aboard have got missing. Five have been rescued. Going for 100m, a heavy rain began pouring down and strong whirlwind blew up and overturned the ship. … [Read more...] about Cruise ship sinks on Saigon River, 15 missing