Sinking of Dongfang zhi Xing

Around 21:28 on 1 June 2015, Dongfang zhi Xing was making a trip from Nanjing to Chongqing on the Yangtze River. When the ship was near Jingzhou, it was caught in a storm and sank in approximately deep waters. The captain and the chief engineer said that the ship was hit by a tornado, and the China Meteorological Administration confirmed that a tornado occurred in Jianli County with wind-speeds reaching EF1 strength, or approximately . It was once widely believed that the tornado struck the river near the ship's location, instead, based on Doppler radar data and other evidence, the official report found that a massive downburst in the thunderstorm, with gusts over (12–13 on the Beaufort scale), was the likely cause of the capsizing. == Passengers and crew ==

Initially, the Chinese authorities reported 458 people were aboard the ship, but later reduced this figure to 456. This included 405 passengers, all of whom were Chinese and mostly elderly, 46 crew members and five tour guides. Seven survivors were able to swim to shore and alert authorities about two and a half hours after capsizing. On 13 June, the Chinese authorities updated that 454, not 456, people were on board and 442 bodies had been found with 12 rescued. The Chinese government censored news and discussion about this accident, while tightly controlling media coverage. The Politburo Standing Committee attempted to control public opinion about the disaster response, by issuing an order to both "understand the sorrow of the families" and "concretely preserve social stability". On 30 December 2015, the Chinese government issued the investigation report on the incident. The report said that heavy storms caused Dongfang zhi Xing to capsize; it also found that the shipping company and local authorities had flaws in their daily management and suggested that 43 people be punished accordingly. ==Ship==

| class = Cruise ship | tonnage = 3,900 | displacement = 2,200 | length = | beam = | height = | draught = | depth = | decks = | power = | propulsion = | speed = | capacity = 534 passengers | crew = 46 | notes = }} }} MV Dongfang zhi Xing was constructed in February 1994. As of 2015, the ship was long with a beam of . It was owned by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation and operated by Xiehe Travel. It made cruises in the Three Gorges area of inland China. Dongfang zhi Xing, as well as other Yangtze River cruise ships, had come under increasing government scrutiny in recent years due to the growing tourist industry in China. In 2013, Dongfang zhi Xing and five other ships were cited for safety violations by the Nanjing maritime bureau, though the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation did not comment on the nature of these infractions. ==Rescue==

Rescue efforts were made immediately to save the passengers and crew, reaching full scale about twelve hours after the capsizing. Eighty-two people had been confirmed dead by 4 June, According to a tweet from China Central Television (CCTV), rescuers were able to hear the sound of people trapped inside the vessel. Additional search efforts were made to locate survivors or bodies up to downstream of the wreck. The Three Gorges Dam upriver was instructed to cut water flow rates by half in order to lower the river levels for the rescue effort. On 5 June, the inverted ship was fitted with cables and nets, and the holes cut in the hull sealed, in order to right the ship and resume the search for survivors or bodies. The search yielded only bodies. The highest levels of government were involved in the search coordination. Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ordered rescue efforts. Premier Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Ma Kai and State Councilor Yang Jing traveled to the site. ==Mourning==

On 7 June, more than 500 rescue workers and government officials at the site mourned during a three-minute silence, after an announcement from Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang. According to Chinese tradition, the seventh day is a key occasion to mourn the passing of the dead (). To mourn the victims, all Chinese satellite television channels suspended entertainment programs from 7 to 8 June. ==See also==