Relatives of shipwreck victims protest in China
The angry relatives of the over 400 passengers who went missing in a Chinese ship accident have held a protest in central China.
Demanding more information on the search operation, hundreds of relatives of the missing individuals clashed with police on Thursday.
Rescuers were still looking for the missing passengers believed to be trapped inside the ship.
Workers began cutting into the hull of the ship late Wednesday to find survivors.
Rescue workers managed to open a small hole into the ship, but bad weather stopped them from continuing their rescue efforts.
The sporadic bursts of heavy rain lashed the site of the sunken ship, making the operation harder and increasing the risk of destabilizing the wrecked ship and sending it further into the fast-moving Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia.
“Due to factors including the recent wide-ranging rainfall, it was exceptionally hard for the divers every time they submerged,” said Transport Ministry spokesman Xu Chengguang in a press conference.
The ship, dubbed the Eastern Star, capsized in turbulent weather on Monday, submerging in 50 feet of water in daylight.
“The ship sank in a very short time frame so there could still be air trapped in the hull,” Li Qixiu of the Naval University of Engineering told media, adding that his assessment of the disaster “means there could still be survivors.”
The number of the bodies recovered from the shipwreck continues to rise. As of Thursday, at least 66 people were reported dead, according to state media.
Since the accident, 14 people have been rescued. Over the past two and a half days, no survivors have been found, though.
HDS/HMV/HJL
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