Nearly 400 bodies have been recovered from the Eastern Star passenger ship since it capsized on the Yangtze River earlier in the week.

According to state-owned CCTV News, the death toll from the incident has now reached 396. Just 46 people are yet to be unaccounted for.

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Late on Thursday, authorities decided to right the Eastern Star after revealing that the chances that any survivors would be found in the ship were slim. Local sources reported that on Friday the Eastern Star was lifted out of the Yangtze River with cranes.

Out of the 456 passengers who were aboard the ship when it was hit by a tornado, only 14 people - including the captain and the chief engineer - were found alive. According to the BBC, most of the bodies found after the ship was righted were retrieved from the top and bottom decks inside the vessel.  

Relatives of passengers aboard the Eastern Star have been protesting over the lack of information from official sources. Officials have noted that an investigation would be made into the matter. According to the captain, the vessel was hit by a tornado and he did not have enough time to make a distress call. Nonetheless, reports indicate that he has been detained for questioning.

Meanwhile, the Chongqing Dongfang Shipping Company, who operate the Eastern Star passenger ship, have apologized for the accident involving the ferry. Reports indicate that the ship, which has been in operation for up to 20 years, had been flagged to have saftey problems prior to this trajedy. This incident has been described as the worst shipping disaster under the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to CCTV, the Eastern Star is set to be hoisted and drained as part of the recovery operation. Firefighters have reportedly been deployed to search through rooms on the boat for more bodies.

There has been a boom in travelling by elderly people in China. Most of the passengers aboard the Eastern Star were reportedly elderly people. According to AP, this ferry is just one of several similar ships that carry elderly people on holiday cruise along the Yangtze River and other parts of the country.

TagsYangtze River, Eastern Star, Chongqing Dongfang Shipping Company, Yangtze River death toll, Yangtze River Ship Accident, Yangtze River Cruise Accident, Yangtze River Cruise Accident Death Toll