CHINA-SHIP/NEWSER-RELATIVE Relatives demand thorough investigation in China ship sinking

Record ID: 150183

  • Title: CHINA-SHIP/NEWSER-RELATIVE Relatives demand thorough investigation in China ship sinking
  • Date: 5th June 2015
  • Summary: JIANLI COUNTY, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA (JUNE 5, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** NEWS CONFERENCE IN SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION SPOKESMAN XU CHENGGUANG, SAYING: "At present, we have salvaged 97 bodies of the victims in total. We express deep grief for the departed, and condolences for their families." REPORTERS SEATED (SO
  • Embargoed: 20th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5K42EBHRGVAG272ALXMZB15S8
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    The death toll from a Chinese cruise ship that capsized on the Yangtze River climbed to 97 on Friday (June 5) as authorities righted the battered vessel and turned their efforts to recovering bodies still on board amid simmering anger from distraught families.
    The rescue mission has become an operation to recover hundreds of bodies from the ship, which was carrying 456 people when it overturned in a freak tornado on Monday night (June 1). Only 14 survivors have been found, including the captain.
    Ministry of Transport spokesman Xu Chengguang gave reporters an update on the death toll.
    "At present, we have salvaged 97 bodies of the victims in total. We express deep grief for the departed, and condolences for their families," he said.
    "The next step is to concentrate on doing a good job of the next stages, including removing the water, raising the boat, overall salvage, and looking for the victims' bodies," he added.
    Frustration over the lack of information has grown among families of the missing. Seventy-year-old Xia Yunchen burst into a room where senior officials had just finished a media conference, screaming and yelling and demanding answers.
    "After we, the families of the victims arrived here, we feel that there's this sort of situation here, in that they are over-emphasising that this was a natural disaster, over emphasising how this was a natural disaster, but according to a lot of the investigations we have done, today we are in the age of the internet, an age where there is open information, we think that this is not just," said Xia, whose sister and brother-in-law were on board the Eastern Star.
    Xia, from the eastern city of Qingdao, told reporters she had wanted to get into the news conference to hear for herself what the government was saying, and that she wanted an honest investigation because family members doubted the weather was the real cause of the disaster.
    "We demand a thorough investigation into this incident, (of factors) other than natural causes. What's more we already absolutely believe that human error was the main cause," she said.
    Police then kept reporters back whilst they moved away relatives and passersby on the street outside.
    About 1,200 relatives have come to Jianli county in Hubei province where the disaster happened.
    Relatives have asked the government to release the names of survivors and the confirmed deaths, and questioned why most of those rescued were crew members.
    Some have demanded to know why the boat did not docked in the storm, and how the rescued captain and crew members had time to put on life vests but did not sound any alarm.
    Beijing has pledged there would be "no cover-up" in the investigation.
    Police have detained the captain and chief engineer for questioning, although authorities have given no details. An initial investigation found the ship was not overloaded and had enough life vests on board.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register