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Chinese passenger ship with 458 aboard sinks in Yangtze river - Xinhua


    (Reuters) - A passenger ship carrying 458 people sank in the Hubei province section of China's Yangtze River on Monday night, Xinhua news agency said, citing the Yangtze River navigation administration.

    The Xinhua report said eight people had so far been rescued, including the ship's captain and engineer, who said the vessel sank rapidly after being caught in a storm.

    The ship, named Dongfangzhixing, was carrying 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members, according to the administration. (http://bit.ly/1LYptA6)

    The vessel was heading to southwest China's Chongqing city from Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. It sank at around 9:28 p.m. local time in the Jianli section of the river.

    Yangtze River navigation administration could not be reached for comment.

    (Reporting by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin)