Rescuers have pulled dozens of bodies from a capsized cruise ship in China’s Yangtze River.
Hundreds of people are believed to have died، as the authorities were only able to rescue 14 of the 456 passengers.
Rescuers have now cut holes into the overturned hull of the cruise ship in three places — near the bow، middle and stern — to search for additional survivors، but have found none so far.
After checking each location، the workers are welding the removed sections of the hull back on and sealing them to maintain the ship’s buoyancy and balance.
At the same time، divers are working in three shifts underwater to search the ship’s cabins one by one، however the rainy weather – which is improving slowly – and the low-visibility are obstructing the divers’ jobs.
Angry relatives staged a protest near the site and broke through police cordons to demand information.
The Chinese government promised ‘no cover up’ and said rescuers would “take all possible measures” to save the injured and promised a “serious investigation”، according to state news agency Xinhua.
President Xi Jinping has convened a special meeting of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee، the highest body in the country، Xinhua said.