Ferry with 458 People on Board Sinks in China’s Yangtze River

Eight people were rescued, including the captain and the chief engineer, and they said that the vessel sank rapidly after being caught in a bad storm.

More than 400 Chinese citizens were on board the boat, along with five travel agency workers and 47 crewmembers, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.

The boat sank in the Jianli section of the river, in Hubei province, as it was sailing from Nanjing, capital of the eastern province of Jiangsu, to the southwestern city of Chongqing, authorities said.

Rescue efforts are being made difficult due to heavy winds and intense rain in the area, Xinhua said.

On Jan. 17 on the same river a tugboat sank as it was on training maneuvers and 22 people drowned, although three were rescued.