A day after the sinking of a cruise ship which capsized on China’s Yangtze River, the fate of hundreds of passengers remains unknown, as angry relatives demand answers from authorities.
The Eastern Star ship was carrying 456 mostly Chinese passengers and the confirmed death toll stands at 18 with 14 survivors found, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Survivors include the captain of the ship who is currently in police custody.
The report said a preliminary investigation found the ship was carrying a sufficient number of life vests and it was not overloaded.
One survivor, who managed to reach the river bank after 10 hours in the water, said the weather suddenly turned bad, with wind, rain, thunder and lightning shortly before the ship capsized.
"As long as there’s even a little hope, we will give it 100% and will absolutely not give up," said Transport Minister Yang Chuantang, adding that divers were in "a race against time" to find any remaining passengers alive in air pockets in the overturned hull.
