The death toll from a shipping accident in east China's Shandong
province has increased to 10, and an unknown number of people are
still missing, sources with the local rescue headquarter said.
Divers called in from the Beihai Rescue Bureau, under the
Ministry of Communications, recovered five more bodies from the
same cabin where they recovered five bodies Thursday morning.
More than 400 rescuers, 11 boats and one helicopter are still
searching for other possible missing passengers, but turbulent
currents and dense fog have made rescue work particularly
difficult.
The ship, carrying a cargo of flour and cement, as well as
passengers, capsized around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday when it was
heading from Changdao County to Penglai City. The voyage between
the two spots, both in Yantai City of eastern Shandong, usually
takes about 40 minutes.
Seven people, including captain Tian Deshun, were rescued on
Wednesday, but the total number of missing remains unknown as Tian
did not take a head count before departure and let some passengers
ride for free.
The dead were identified as residents of Penglai and
Changdao.
Tian and two other crew members have been detained and are being
questioned by police for illegally carrying passengers.
(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2007)