Beijing: The toll has climbed to 97 in the Chinese cruise ship disaster. The Eastern Star, which was carrying 456 passengers and crew, overturned in river Yangtze on Monday after being caught in a storm. On Friday morning, the boat was righted andwill be drain off the water, before salvaging the ship. According to reports, it is learnt that this disaster is the China’s worst one in seven decades.
A spokesperson for the transport ministry, Xu Chengguang on Thursday night said that there had been no further signs of life inside the ship and added that officials would absolutely not cover up anything in the investigation.
Nearly 14 people have known to have survived after jumping as soon as the ship began to sink. Over three persons were rescued from air pockets in the upturned hull. The cause for the disaster is yet-to-be known. The ship’s captain and the chief engineer, who escaped the accident, said that the ship caught in storm and overturned within minutes.
The Eastern Star was investigated for safety violations two years ago, according to records of Maritime agency.
