Rescuers continue to hunt for cruise ship survivors in China

(Vatican Radio)  In China, rescuers are continuing to hunt for around 440 people missing after a cruise ship sank in a storm on the Yangtze River. The vessel was said to be carrying mostly elderly tourists.

Listen to the Alastair Wanklyn's report:

Chinese authorities said they mobilised more than 3,000 soldiers and police to help the rescue effort.

Television pictures from the scene showed personnel standing on the boat's upturned hull, knocking and then listening for replies from inside.

The ship was carrying around 450 people when it sank in heavy wind and rain on the Yangtze River in central China.

Among the handful of survivors were the captain and chief engineer. Another survivor, a tour guide, was quoted saying the vessel began to roll violently. He grabbed a life jacket as it capsized, and he climbed out of a window.

He said he heard a dozen or so other people in the water nearby, but within 30 minutes their voices fell silent.

The ship was reportedly owned by a tour company specializing in cruises to the popular Three Gorges section of the river.

Outside a company office in Shanghai anxious relatives tried to confirm who was on the passenger list.

One man said when they heard the ship had sunk they tried calling the mobile phones of their relatives aboard. None of them answered.