Capsized Chinese Ship: Chance of Survivors Slim

 

The death toll from the cruise ship that capsized on the Yangtze River has climbed to 82, state media said, as authorities began righting the vessel and said there was no chance of finding anyone else alive.

 

Xu Chengguang, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference on Thursday night that chances of finding more survivors are fading.  

 

"Generally speaking, there is no chance of more survivors," he said, adding that it was time to start operation to right the ship, which will speed up the search process.

 

With hopes of finding survivors all but extinguished, authorities had said they would keep searching for people alive inside the wreck.

 

"This is to show respect for life," said Wang Zhigang, a local official in charge of ship inspections.

 

Bodies were being brought to the Jianli's Rongcheng Crematorium, where at least two relatives of passengers arrived Thursday to try to identify loved ones.

 

With 458 people on board, Eastern Star was caught in a tornado and capsized at around 9:28 pm Monday in a section of the Yangtze River flowing through Jianli county, Hubei Province. The incident is believed to be one of China's worst maritime disasters in decades.