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| Families' anger grows after China cruise ship sinking | Families' anger grows after China cruise ship sinking |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Forty-eight hours after a Chinese cruise ship carrying 456 people capsized and sank on the Yangtze river, anger and frustration is growing among relatives of those feared to have died. | Forty-eight hours after a Chinese cruise ship carrying 456 people capsized and sank on the Yangtze river, anger and frustration is growing among relatives of those feared to have died. |
| Dozens of family members arrived in Jianli on Wednesday, the town nearest to the disaster scene, seeking news of their loved ones. | Dozens of family members arrived in Jianli on Wednesday, the town nearest to the disaster scene, seeking news of their loved ones. |
| By Wednesday night, just 40 of those travelling on the Eastern Star cruise ship had been accounted for – 14 survivors and 26 dead. | By Wednesday night, just 40 of those travelling on the Eastern Star cruise ship had been accounted for – 14 survivors and 26 dead. |
| Liu Gang, whose 68-year-old mother is missing, told the Guardian he had arrived in Jianli with a group of about 20 other families in the early hours of Wednesday. | Liu Gang, whose 68-year-old mother is missing, told the Guardian he had arrived in Jianli with a group of about 20 other families in the early hours of Wednesday. |
| The group had hoped to visit the disaster site and accompany the rescue efforts. However, authorities prevented the families from reaching the site and had provided scant information about their operations, he complained. | The group had hoped to visit the disaster site and accompany the rescue efforts. However, authorities prevented the families from reaching the site and had provided scant information about their operations, he complained. |
| “We are here but we still have to get all our information from the internet. We can’t go to the [disaster] site and have no way of finding out what has happened,” said Liu, whose mother, Shen Zhijuan, is still missing. | “We are here but we still have to get all our information from the internet. We can’t go to the [disaster] site and have no way of finding out what has happened,” said Liu, whose mother, Shen Zhijuan, is still missing. |
| “We are prepared for the worst but [the government] should let us know what is really happening,” said a second relative – a 35-year-old from Shanghai who asked to be named only as Mr Gu and whose mother and father-in-law were on the ship. “Why they won’t talk to us?” | “We are prepared for the worst but [the government] should let us know what is really happening,” said a second relative – a 35-year-old from Shanghai who asked to be named only as Mr Gu and whose mother and father-in-law were on the ship. “Why they won’t talk to us?” |
| Related: Anger and resignation at scene of Chinese cruise ship sinking | Related: Anger and resignation at scene of Chinese cruise ship sinking |
| “Rescue crews in orange overalls began cutting a 55cm by 60cm hole in the ship’s hull on Wednesday night in the hope of finding further survivors inside, Xinhua, China’s official news agency reported.” | “Rescue crews in orange overalls began cutting a 55cm by 60cm hole in the ship’s hull on Wednesday night in the hope of finding further survivors inside, Xinhua, China’s official news agency reported.” |
| Earlier, navy divers had used their hands to feel their way through sections of the submerged vessel, Zhang Jianxin, a transport ministry official, told state-run CCTV. | Earlier, navy divers had used their hands to feel their way through sections of the submerged vessel, Zhang Jianxin, a transport ministry official, told state-run CCTV. |
| Li Keqiang, the Chinese prime minister, urged rescue workers tocontinue their efforts despite the difficult conditions. “The whole nation is putting their hope on you,” he said, according to state media. | Li Keqiang, the Chinese prime minister, urged rescue workers tocontinue their efforts despite the difficult conditions. “The whole nation is putting their hope on you,” he said, according to state media. |
| But while the Communist party has been keen to emphasise its swift response to the tragedy, both Liu and Gu said the government’s lack of transparency was fuelling suspicion among relatives. | |
| “To be honest, we don’t trust all the official information that is being published,” said Gu. | |
| “The families can remain calm for a day or two, but what if one day we are unable to take it any more?” | |
| “I wonder why they won’t let us go to the site,” said Liu. | |
| “We told them that if they were worried they could organise for us to go there, but they didn’t respond to our request. We came here on our own because we are anxious and sad. We want to see our families, and we are not here to cause trouble.” | “We told them that if they were worried they could organise for us to go there, but they didn’t respond to our request. We came here on our own because we are anxious and sad. We want to see our families, and we are not here to cause trouble.” |
| “If they insist on not letting us in, we might think there could be flaws in their rescue efforts,” he added. “Otherwise, why are they so scared of us, the families, being there?” | “If they insist on not letting us in, we might think there could be flaws in their rescue efforts,” he added. “Otherwise, why are they so scared of us, the families, being there?” |
| Liu said he had not given up hope of finding his mother alive. “If she comes back safely, I will never let her go on tourism trips again,” he said. | Liu said he had not given up hope of finding his mother alive. “If she comes back safely, I will never let her go on tourism trips again,” he said. |
| However, at Jianli’s main funeral parlour authorities were preparing for the worst. Shen Yuanhai, the owner of a coffin factory in the neighbouring province of Henan, said he delivered four lorries to the funeral home on Wednesday, each stacked high with refrigerated caskets. | However, at Jianli’s main funeral parlour authorities were preparing for the worst. Shen Yuanhai, the owner of a coffin factory in the neighbouring province of Henan, said he delivered four lorries to the funeral home on Wednesday, each stacked high with refrigerated caskets. |
| After being unloaded by a forklift truck, the coffins, which have transparent, flower-covered lids, were packed side-to-side into four halls where wakes will be held over the coming days. | After being unloaded by a forklift truck, the coffins, which have transparent, flower-covered lids, were packed side-to-side into four halls where wakes will be held over the coming days. |
| Zou Jinlin, a 40-year-old local who was among crowds gathered at the Rongcheng Crematorium, said she would comfort relatives by telling them: “It was a natural disaster. It wasn’t human error.” | Zou Jinlin, a 40-year-old local who was among crowds gathered at the Rongcheng Crematorium, said she would comfort relatives by telling them: “It was a natural disaster. It wasn’t human error.” |
| Her words echoed reports in China’s government-controlled media that have repeatedly pointed to a tornado or cyclone as the most likely cause of Monday’s disaster. | Her words echoed reports in China’s government-controlled media that have repeatedly pointed to a tornado or cyclone as the most likely cause of Monday’s disaster. |
| “Under the special circumstance of cyclone, the pressure on the one side of the boat went beyond the standard it was designed for, resulting in the overturning of the boat,” Zhong Shoudao, the president of China’s Chongqing Boat Design Institute, told a press conference, according to the Associated Press. | “Under the special circumstance of cyclone, the pressure on the one side of the boat went beyond the standard it was designed for, resulting in the overturning of the boat,” Zhong Shoudao, the president of China’s Chongqing Boat Design Institute, told a press conference, according to the Associated Press. |
| However, some relatives remain unconvinced by the official narrative. Liu Gang said he could not grasp how “such a big ship could turn upside down” in the river and why the 251ft-long Eastern Star appeared to have been the only ship affected by the storm. | However, some relatives remain unconvinced by the official narrative. Liu Gang said he could not grasp how “such a big ship could turn upside down” in the river and why the 251ft-long Eastern Star appeared to have been the only ship affected by the storm. |
| “There were many other ships – big and small – and they were all fine. If it really was the bad weather, other ships would have been affected too,” he said. | “There were many other ships – big and small – and they were all fine. If it really was the bad weather, other ships would have been affected too,” he said. |
| Questions over whether human error could have played a role grew on Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Eastern Star had been cited for “safety infractions” two years ago. | Questions over whether human error could have played a role grew on Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Eastern Star had been cited for “safety infractions” two years ago. |
| Safety inspectors in Chongqing had given the Eastern Star the green light as recently as last month, the People’s Daily, Beijing’s official mouthpiece newspaper, said. | Safety inspectors in Chongqing had given the Eastern Star the green light as recently as last month, the People’s Daily, Beijing’s official mouthpiece newspaper, said. |
| Chinese authorities appear nervous about the potential for unrest as hundreds of grieving relatives flock to the riverside town. As well as the massive rescue operation, large numbers of security forces have descended on Jianli, setting up roadblocks at major intersections. Foreign and Chinese journalists have been prevented from independently travelling to the disaster site. | Chinese authorities appear nervous about the potential for unrest as hundreds of grieving relatives flock to the riverside town. As well as the massive rescue operation, large numbers of security forces have descended on Jianli, setting up roadblocks at major intersections. Foreign and Chinese journalists have been prevented from independently travelling to the disaster site. |
| Attempts to interview relatives who had gathered outside Jianli’s main hospital were thwarted by government volunteers in red armbands. One family was ushered into a black sedan, apparently against their will, and driven away from reporters. “Too many journalists! You have to get into the car!” a government volunteer told them. | Attempts to interview relatives who had gathered outside Jianli’s main hospital were thwarted by government volunteers in red armbands. One family was ushered into a black sedan, apparently against their will, and driven away from reporters. “Too many journalists! You have to get into the car!” a government volunteer told them. |
| “We feel powerless as a member of the public, especially when government officials block the roads and do not allow us go to the site,” complained Liu. | “We feel powerless as a member of the public, especially when government officials block the roads and do not allow us go to the site,” complained Liu. |
| For relatives thre two key questions remained: what had happened to their loved-ones and why. | For relatives thre two key questions remained: what had happened to their loved-ones and why. |
| “You tell me, how could such a horrible disaster happen?” Liu said. | “You tell me, how could such a horrible disaster happen?” Liu said. |
| Additional reporting by Luna Lin | Additional reporting by Luna Lin |
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