At least 458 people were aboard a ship that sank on the Yangzte River in southern China after being caught in a storm Monday night.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, only 10 people have been rescued so far. Strong winds and rain are inhibiting the search for the remaining passengers in the Jianli county of Hubei Province where the vessel sunk.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Ma Kai and State Councilor Yang Jing are on thier way to the site to direct rescue and emergency response, People's Daily reported.
The ship, Dongfangzhixing, or Eastern Star, capsized while traveling from the eastern city of Nanjing to Chongqing in the southwest.
In addition to the 458 passengers on board the ship, there are five travel agency employees and 47 crew members. Most passengers are tourists, between the ages of 5 and 80, since the ship runs tours to the Three Gorges river canyon along the Yangtze River, according to China's CCTV.
Among those rescued were the captain and the chief engineer who said that the ship had been caught in a cyclone and sank quickly.
Yangtze River navigation administration said that the wreck was lying upside down.
