Chinese rescue teams have decided to move the stricken Yangtze River ferry Eastern Star upstream to calmer waters to continue to the search for the remaining missing passengers.
According to local authorities, the ship will be towed by heavy lift vessels, and 13 divers will continue to search the 150m² area where the ship capsized. Search and rescue teams will scan the bottom of the river to find the remaining victims.
Related news:China ferry disaster: 431 confirmed dead
The search and rescue mission will be extended to the area 1,300 km along the Yangtze River between Jianli in Hubei Province, where the ship sank, downstream to the estuary of the Yangtze Rover in Wusongkou, Shanghai.
Police officers and rescue workers offer a moment of silcence for the victims of the Easter Star cruise ship that capsized a week ago on the Yangtze River. Photo: PA
The ship will be sealed off for further investigation after the joint inspection by Changjiang Navigation Administration, Jinzhou municipal government, Chongqing municipal government, and the shipowner was completed at noon on 8 June.
The death toll today officially stands at 434, with only 14 survivors.
The captain and chief engineer have been detained and questioned, and on-board investigations will be carried out later to find out the cause of the accident.
More than 3,400 soldiers, 1,700 paramilitary personnel, together with 149 vessels, and a helicopter, are involved in the search and rescue mission.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
