Rescue Efforts After Yangtze Ship Accident

ON the night of June 1， 2015， a tornado overturned a cruiseship carrying 454 people on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province. The ship， Eastern Star， was owned by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation， and passengers had booked their trip through a travel agency in Shanghai.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang rushed to the site the next morning and gave instructions for the coordination of the search and rescue effort.

Rescue teams arrived at the site at 2 a.m. on June 2. At 5 a.m. more than 140 rescuers， 130 ships， and 20-plus vehicles were active on the site and the downstream areas. By 7：26 a.m. 12 people had been rescued.

Two 500-ton salvage vessels headed to the site at 6 a.m. on June 2. The overturned ship was completely righted on June 5. Manholes were drilled into the side of the boat to give rescuers easier access.

By 6 p.m. on June 7， over 800 people and more than 600 ships and vehicles had taken part in the rescue. Every corner of the ship was combed for survivors. The final death toll stood at 442.

At the same time， a good number of volunteers， psychologists， and charities were on hand to provide aid to victims families.

The China Insurance Regulatory Commission expects settlement claims in excess of RMB 92 million.endprint