Tragedy: 21 dead, 1 missing after boat capsizes in east China

This tragic report is really saddening as 21 people have been confirmed dead, while another remains missing, after a tugboat with 25 people on board sank on the Yangtze River in east China's Jiangsu Province on Thursday afternoon, local authorities said Saturday.

Rescuers are still searching for the cockpit along the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for the one missing, according to the Jiangsu Maritime Safety Administration (JMSD).

The boat, coded "Wanshenzhou 67", has been lifted out of the water on Saturday morning, 40 hours after it sank in Fubei Channel, near Jingjiang City. Rescuers have so far saved three people.

Initial investigations found that it capsized due to "improper operations".

According to the JMSD, the tugboat operators did not complete the compulsory procedures needed for trial operations, nor did they report the tug's conditions to authorities. The boat sank in the midst of a full circle swinging due to improper handling, the JMSD told Xinhua.

On Saturday morning, local authorities published the names of those on board, including eight foreigners -- four Singaporeans, an Indonesian, a Malaysian, an Indian and a Japanese national. All 25 onboard were men, according to the JMSD.

As of 11 a.m., 19 bodies have been spotted in nearby waters, with two already retrieved. Rescuers have saved three people, all Chinese, including an interpreter. All the eight foreigners were killed, the JMSD confirmed.

The 30-meter-long boat, with a weight of 368 tonnes, was built by Anhui Bengbu Shenzhou Machinery Co. Ltd. in October. Enditem

Source: iCrossChina