- Wu Jianqiang, 58, was first person to call police to say they were on board
- Wife pushed him out of ferry but there has been no news from her since
- Eastern Star ferry overturned during cyclone in Yangtze river on Monday
- 458 passengers were on board, many of them in their 60s and 70s
- 26 people have been confirmed dead with more than 400 still missing
- 15 survivors have been rescued, as desperate search continues
One of the first survivors of the Yangtze
ferry disaster has spoken of the terrifying moment the ship sank and how
he became separated from his wife.
Wu Jianqiang, 58, was the first person to
call police to tell them that he, his wife and other elderly passengers
were on the ship.
He wept as he described how his wife pushed him out of the ferry so that he could be rescued, reported the People’s Daily Online.
Distraught: Wu Jianqiang, 58, described how his wife pushed him out of the ferry so that he could be rescued
Traumatic: He was the first person to call police to say that he, his wife and others were on the ship
Grief: 26 people have been confirmed dead after the ferry overturned in the Yangtze river on Monday night
Mr Wu has not heard any news about his wife since and is fearing the worst.
He has been reunited with his son and
family members, who rushed over from Tianjin in the north east of the
country to Jianli in central China to join him.
Distraught relatives have been anxiously waiting for news for nearly 48 hours, as the desperate search for survivors continues.
Families have expressed anger about the
lack of communication from officials, and have questioned why the ferry
was allowed to sail when a cyclone was imminent.
The Eastern Star ferry overturned during a
cyclone in the Yangtze River on Monday night with 458 passengers on
board, many in their 60s and 70s.
The passenger boat sank ‘within one or two
minutes’ of being caught up in the storm in central Hubei province,
according to the captain.
The ferry left Nanjing in eastern China on 28 May and was heading for Chongqing.
15 survivors have been rescued, according to the Chinese Transportation Ministry.
26 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 400 people are still missing.
Anguish: Relatives of missing passengers fear the worst nearly 48 hours after the ferry accident
Anxious wait: More than 400 people are still missing as the desperate search for survivors continues
Concern: Families are desperate for news about
their loved ones. Many passengers on board the Eastern Star ferry were
in their 60s and 70s
A team of 4,000 rescue workers, including
police, firefighters and members of the Chinese Navy are working around
the clock to look for survivors.
Rescue workers initially reported hearing
the calls of survivors inside the hull of the ship, but the stormy
conditions are making the search operation extremely difficult.
Rescuers have been searching for survivors for nearly 48 hours now, and no more survivors have been found for a number of hours.
Divers are working to look for passengers
in the ship’s compartments, while the search operation was expanded to
cover a 220 kilometre stretch.
State television showed footage of rescuers trying to cut through the ship’s hull with an angle grinder.
Capsize: The ferry, which was travelling from Nanjing to Chongqing, was carrying 458 passengers
Search operation: 15 survivors have been rescued
so far. A team of 4,000 rescue workers have been working around the
clock since the accident
Survivor: An elderly man is pulled from the river, as divers comb the capsized ship for passengers
Rescue: State television showed footage of rescuers trying to cut through the ship’s hull with an angle grinder
Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang arrived
on the scene on Tuesday to lead the rescue operation, calling for an
‘all-out effort’ to look for survivors.
He instructed the rescue team to ‘mobilise all resources available’ and ‘take every possible measure’ in the desperate search.
Mr Li called for regular updates on the rescue operation and has ordered for a full investigation into the accident.
Meanwhile, a crematorium in Jianli, the
nearest town to the wreckage, is preparing hundreds of coffins as it
fears for the worst.
The accident is feared to be one of the worst maritime disaster in China for decades.
The captain of the ship and the chief engineer, who both survived the accident, are being held in police custody.
Senior passenger is rescued from capsized Chinese ship
Fearing for worst: A crematorium in Jianli, the nearest town to the wreckage, is preparing hundreds of coffins
‘All-out effort': Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang arrived on the scene on Tuesday to lead rescue operation
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