MORE than 400 people are missing and feared dead. Journalists have been kept from the scene. If the death toll is as bad as it might be, this would be the worst boat disaster in the history of the People’s Republic of China. The prime minister, Li Keqiang, has arrived to oversee the rescue effort; the whole country is watching.
The tourist ferry with 458 people aboard overturned on the Yangzi river in stormy weather on the evening of June 1st. Only 14 of its passengers and crew have been rescued so far. Five people have been confirmed dead. Citizens are watching their government’s rescue effort with bated breath—and with a paucity of information, which is all too familiar.
Most of the passengers aboard the boat, the Oriental Star, were between the ages of 50 and 80 years old, according to state media. Official news reports said the boat sent no distress signal before it overturned. The captain and an engineer have been detained, although no reason for this has been announced.
Dozens of boats and 140 navy divers have been deployed at the scene. A 65-year-old woman became the 13th person rescued just before...Continue reading
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