Дз 2 (3/4)

[parano]

Rescue workers stand on the capsized ship, center, on the Yangtze River in central China’s Hubei province on June 2.

Bad weather, strong river currents, and poor visibility were hampering rescuers, who had reported hearing knocking and yelling from inside the hull hours after the ship capsized around 9:30 p.m. Monday local time.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who arrived at the site in Hubei province the next day, has ordered an all-out rescue effort in response, with more than 170 divers scouring the river, the AP reported.

In all, more than 50 boats and 3,000 people were involved in the search Wednesday morning, according to the AP.

“We will do everything we can to rescue everyone trapped in there, no matter they’re still alive or not, and we will treat them as our own families,” Chen Shoumin, a regional military commander, said at a news conference, according to the Associated Press.

 

The Eastern Star capsized in the Damazhou waterway amid a violent storm that was described as possible cyclone. The Communist Party–run People’s Daily reported that the ship sank quickly after capsizing, leaving the captain no time to send a distress signal.

A handful of people on the boat, including the captain, were able to grab life vests and jump into the storm-churned water, alerting authorities of the disaster after making it to shore. The ship’s captain and chief engineer were later detained by police for questioning, state-run media reported.

Footage aired Tuesday by CCTV showed rescue workers on the hull of the four-story ship, one of them tapping it with a hammer, his ear pressed to the wall as he listened for a response.

The ship had reportedly floated a short distance since sinking, mean air had likely become trapped inside, providing buoyancy and giving passengers a chance, officials said. Those hopes were energized Tuesday after crews cut into