Rescue crews in central China continued Tuesday to search for survivors after a passenger ship carrying 450 people sank during a storm in the Yangtze River.
The Xinhua news agency says only 12 people have been rescued and five bodies recovered so far. Heavy winds and rain are hampering efforts to find others.
The People's Daily newspaper said five more passengers have been located in the ship's cabin and that a rescue effort is under way. Earlier, a 65-year-old woman was pulled from the water.
Many passengers are believed to be trapped inside. Rescuers report hearing cries for help from inside the capsized vessel, according to state media reports.
The cause of the accident is not clear. The vessel ((Dongfangzhixing or Eastern Star)) was headed from Nanjing to Chongqing city in southwest China when it sank quickly during what were described as cyclone conditions.
Premier Li Keqiang is personally overseeing rescue efforts, and arrived early Tuesday at the rescue site with a work team from the State Council ((China's chief administrative body)), according to Xinhua.
President Xi Jinping has demanded an "all-out" effort to rescue the passengers, most of whom are believed to be between 50 and 80 years old, according to state media.
China's state broadcaster, CCTV said the vessel was capable of holding up to 534 people.