Death toll up to 13 in S. China shipwreck
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E-mail Xinhua, March 15, 2012
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A rescue ship is searching for the missing people on the Xunjiang River. |
The death toll has risen to 13 and seven were still missing after a passenger ship sank in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, local authorities said Thursday morning.
The ship had been salvaged from the Xunjiang River in the city of Guiping by 11 a.m. Thursday, said local authorities.
A cargo ship loaded with porcelain clay collided with the passenger ship on Sunday in Guiping, said Zeng Jianqing, vice mayor with the municipal government.
The sunken ship was located Wednesday morning by two divers at a depth of 200 meters. Ten bodies have been retrieved, Zeng said.
Local authorities are trying to confirm the identities of the deceased and verify the number of those still missing.
According to a preliminary investigation, the cargo ship was traveling outside the designated shipping lane when it collided with the passenger vessel. The cargo ship appears to have caused the accident, said Tu Jianyou, deputy director with the maritime bureau of Guiping.
With a maximum capacity of 30 people, the passenger vessel was overloaded at the time of the collision, said Tu.
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