On Wednesday, a Chinese cruise ship traveling along the Yangtze River had capsized due to a freak tornado. More than 450 people are missing, most of which are Chinese citizens of the ages 6o to 70 years old. Premier Li Kequiang has already called for an investigation with the use of a transparent probe.

Like Us on Facebook

Premier Li had rushed to the scene and had emphasized the importance of "transparent and regular updates" on the investigation and rescue. In addition, the Premier requested that authorities ensure sufficient funding and rescue personnel. Xhinhuanet reports that more than 4,000 rescuers are working on the scene for rescue and search work despite battling heavy rain and strong winds.

According to a report by Reuters, out of more than 450 passengers, only seven bodies were recovered. On the other hand, 14 people have been rescued. The cruise ship carried approximately 405 passengers, 46 crew members, and five tour guides. Most of the tourists were from the neighboring province of Jiangsu and from Shanghai.

The said incident occurred around Monday night when the cruise ship was caught in a freak tornado at the Hubei Province in Jianli. The China Meteorological Administration echoed the same words stated by the chief engineer and captain of the cruise ship. A tornado was indeed spotted at the time of the incident, which had the wind strength of 110 kilometers per hour. The tornado lasted 20 minutes, which was enough to capsize the boat.

With regards to information on the ship, the China cruise ship is 76-meters long and has said to be in service for almost 20 years. It has the capacity to carry up to 534 passengers. Reports by the NY Times claim that the ship was only an ordinary passenger ship and not a luxury cruise ship. Six out of 10 safety problems have been found during inspection on the boat.

"Most of the domestic ships don't even have basic regulations," said Professor Vassalos. "If we can do that, many lives will be saved."

For now, rescue efforts continue. As for the ship's captain and chief engineer, both are under police custody.