Ship with 450 people on board sinks in China

The cruise ship Eastern Star has sunk in China's biggest river Yangtze, BBC reports. There were at least 450 people on board.

20 people including the captain and the chief engineer have been rescued. The ship was hit by a cyclone and sank very fast, they said.

Rescuers are still looking for survivors.

There were at least 440 passengers and 47 crew members on board, the Xinhua News Agency reports. All of them were Chinese.

The rescue operation is being hindered by strong wind and heavy rain.

Photo: AP