Death toll reaches 14 in southern China shipwreck

[News_Editor]

Death toll reaches 14 in southern China shipwreck

2012-03-16 09:37:38 GMT+7 (ICT)

NANNING, China (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll after Sunday's shipwreck in southern China has risen to twelve while six others remain missing, local authorities told state-run media on Thursday.

The accident occurred on Sunday when a passenger ship collided with a cargo ship carrying porcelain clay on the Xunjiang River in the city of Guiping, located in China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The passenger ship was salvaged from the river on Thursday.

Municipal government vice mayor Zeng Jianqing told the state-run Xinhua news agency that 28 people have been rescued. Since the ship was located on Wednesday, fourteen bodies have been recovered while six others remain missing and are feared to have been killed as well.

Guiping maritime bureau deputy director Tu Jianyou said the cargo ship was mostly responsible for the accident because it was operating outside of its scheduled shipping lane when it collided into the passenger vessel. However, Tu noted that the passenger vessel was also overloaded.

Captain Chen Hanchao and pilot Li Guixiong were detained by police on Tuesday, as well as Li Dasen and Huang Yingxin, the owners of the cargo ship involved in the accident. Search-and-rescue teams deployed by government officials continue working in the area to recover bodies.

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