China was facing up to an unfolding disaster in the murky waters of the Yangtze River on Tuesday.
The cruise ship, the Eastern Star, capsized late Monday in stormy weather along a stretch of the Yangtze that winds through central China's Hubei province, authorities said.
The bad weather hampered initial search and rescue efforts, according to state media. By Tuesday morning, divers were in the water and rescue workers were walking along part of the vessel's upturned hull that was sticking out of the water.
The divers knocked on the ship under the water and heard responses from inside, a state-run local newspaper reported. Welders were trying to cut the cabin open, it said.
Rescuers find survivors, bodies
One rescue worker was seen lying on the exposed part of the hull, tapping the metal with a small hammer and apparently listening out for responses.
Early in the afternoon, a 65-year-old woman was pulled alive from the water, official media reported. They had initially given her age as 85.
A total of 14 survivors and five bodies have been recovered so far, according to China's state-run broadcaster CCTV.
The survivors include the captain and chief engineer, who have been taken into custody for questioning by police, according to state media.
But the fates of the hundreds of other people aboard the ship was unclear.
Most of the 406 passengers on the cruise were aged between 50 and 80, according to a list published by state media. The youngest was only 3 years old.
There were also 47 crew members and five travel agency workers on board, according to state media.
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