China Cruise Ship Death Toll Exceeds 400, Victims Mourned
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - 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 431 on Sunday, with 11 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.
Government spokesman Hu Kaihong told reporters that DNA tests were being carried out to identify the bodies.
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 their horns.
Families members will also gather near the river for ceremonies.
More than 1,400 relatives have come to Jianli, with many expressing frustration at the lack of information from the government. On Friday, one burst into a just-concluded news conference, publicly accusing the government of treating its people like enemies.
The government says that it is doing everything possible to help the relatives, including providing free accommodation and medical services, and Vice Premier Ma Kai has been dispatched to meet family members personally.
Officials organized for foreign reporters and sat in on an interview with some relatives, who praised the government's efforts.
