Dong Fang Zhi Xing
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Dong Fang Zhi Xing ( Chinese 东方 之 星 , Pinyin Dōng Fāng Zhī Xīng , German about Star of the East ) is a river cruise ship built in 1994 by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation in China. The ship has been used for river cruises on the Yangtze River between Nanjing and Chongqing since it was commissioned.
Average 2015
On June 1, 2015, the ship was hit by a tornado , according to the captain . According to the captain, it capsized within two minutes around 21:28 local time. The captain and chief engineer were among the few people who were able to save themselves. The captain was questioned by the police in connection with the circumstances of the sinking. The aim was to clarify the question raised by relatives as to why the ship lifted anchor even though a weather warning had been published shortly before.
The ship continued operating after the capsizing still about three kilometers, indicating air bubbles in the body before it at Damazhou (in the circle Jianli of Hubei province sat) near the shore at the bottom of the river.
According to final official information, there were 454 people on board, including 403 Chinese passengers, five travel agency employees and 46 crew members. Initial reports mentioned 458 people on board the ship, but this number was later revised down to 456.
The water depth at the position of the sunken wreck is about 18 meters. The ship's keel and propeller were still sticking out of the water. Rescue workers heard knocking signals from survivors from the ship's hull. One passenger was saved by cutting open the hull. Another passenger was fitted with a breathing apparatus by divers and brought out. In the two days after the accident, the total of 12 survivors were found, although the media initially mentioned 14 survivors.
On June 5th, the shipwreck was turned over and then lifted out of the water by three floating cranes . A three-digit number of corpses was recovered from the hull. A total of 434 victims had been rescued by June 10. After being searched, the wreck was moved 50 meters from the scene of the accident to give divers the opportunity to search the bottom of the river for the victims who had not yet been found. This search was unsuccessful. The search was extended to the entire course of the river as far as Shanghai . On June 12, 2015, as the authorities said, the last missing victim was recovered.
On June 10, the wreck was transported to calmer waters ten kilometers upstream from the site of the accident in order to counteract a feared breakup due to the relocation.
After the sinking of the Kiang Ya in 1948 and the ferry accident on the Dashun ferry in 1999, the sinking is one of the most serious shipping accidents in China.
Investigation of the course of events and causes of the accident
The investigation into the course of the accident and its causes was completed in December 2015. The official report states that there was no tornado, as often assumed, but only winds with winds of 12 to 13 Beaufort with heavy rain at the accident site. This extraordinary weather was declared to be the cause of the accident. Since the ship was about 50 kilometers from the nearest weather radar station, it could not receive any warning about the weather, which will be issued in this case.
The conversion of the ship to a cruise ship in 1997 and the other changes in 2004 were all within the legal framework. However, as a result of the modifications, the ship was less stable against wind influences. The wind was more than twice as strong as the ship could have tolerated after its changes. It was criticized that the ship owner had changed ballast tanks without asking the authorities for the necessary subsequent inspection. The condition of the ship was also not adequately monitored by the owner, the investigation found, but the neglect of supervision by various authorities was also criticized.
It was found that the master and his crew had not been adequately prepared for how to behave in adverse weather. In view of the weather, however, no turning maneuver was carried out, as had been suspected, and the ship was not too fast at the time of the accident. The surviving captain was acquitted of the charge of leaving his ship prematurely. However, it was recommended that his captain's license be revoked, but a court should decide on a possible criminal offense. According to the recommendation of the investigative commission, a total of 43 people should answer to the court in connection with the accident, as they are accused of misconduct in the day-to-day as well as basic management of the ship.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hundreds Missing After Chinese Cruise Ship Sinks on Yangtze , accessed June 2, 2015
- ^ After a shipwreck in China: the number of dead rises to 431. In: tagesschau.de. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015 ; accessed on June 8, 2015 .
- ↑ Ship carrying 458 people sinks in Yangtze River in: People's Daily , June 2, 2015, accessed June 3, 2015
- ↑ Details of Rescue and Search for Capsized Ship Victims Revealed on China Radio International, July 7, 2015, accessed July 7, 2015
- ↑ a b Number of dead rises to 431 ( memento from June 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) in: Tagesschau online June 7, 2015, accessed on June 7, 2015
- ↑ Chinese ferry sinks in Yangtze river with 458 people aboard - latest updates in: The Guardian , June 2, 2015 (6:43 am BST), accessed June 2, 2015
- ↑ a b Final Bodies of Ferry Disaster on Yangtze River Identified from: China Radio International , June 13, 2015, accessed June 14, 2015
- ↑ a b Final death toll of China capsized cruise ship at 442 on China Daily, June 14, 2015, accessed June 14, 2015
- ↑ cwe / cvh / cho / dpa / AFP: Boat accident on Yangtze River: Passenger ship with 458 people on board sinks in China on focus.de on June 2, 2015, accessed on June 2, 2015
- ↑ Yangtze ferry disaster: Chinese ferry sinks with 458 on board; rescuers working to free passengers from capsized ship ABC News June 2, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015
- ↑ Ship accident in China: More than 400 deaths feared. (No longer available online.) In: Zeit online. June 3, 2015, archived from the original on June 10, 2015 ; Retrieved June 3, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Eastern Star hoisted from Water at China Radio International, June 5 2015. Retrieved on June 5, 2015
- ↑ Divers continue underwater search efforts on Xinhua News , June 9, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015.
- ↑ Underwater Search for Victims of Capsized Ship Completes on: China Radio International June 10, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015
- ↑ a b China ferry disaster search area is extended 1,000km down Yangtze river in: The Guardian, June 7, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015 (English)
- ↑ 'Eastern Star' Towed to Safer Waters on: China Radio International, June 10, 2015, accessed June 11, 2015
- ↑ China Reveals Progress of Yangtze Shipwreck Probe on: China Radio International, June 11, 2015, accessed June 11, 2015
- ↑ Cruise Ship Tragedy Caused by Freak Weather: Official Probe on: China Radio International, December 30, 2015, accessed January 4, 2016
- ↑ China Ship Disaster Probe Finds Management Flaws from: China Radio International, December 30, 2015, accessed January 4, 2016
Coordinates: 29 ° 29 ′ 43.8 " N , 113 ° 4 ′ 57.4" E