On June 5, a severe storm struck the area around Haikou, China. The storm unleashed strong winds which caused the 130 meter long passenger ship Hai Kou Jiu Hao to run aground off Hainan Island while the 106 meter long Yin Zi Jing allided with a nearby beacon. No further details reported.
Rescue efforts continue on the overturn cruise ship Eastern Star that sank one day earlier. Some 1,000 police, 110 vessels and over 175 divers are involved in the search and rescue operations. The total rescued reached 14 as a few survivors were found trapped within the hull.
Reports say divers found a 21 year old man trapped in a small compartment who was able to use dive equipment to swim out the vessel. Rescuers cut a hole after hearing tapping inside the hull and rescued a 65 year old woman. Another person was found downstream after he had escaped out a window when the Eastern Star capsized. He had grabbed a life vest and floated some 10 hours down the river before being spotted by rescuers.
The 135 meter long self-propelled barge Sandra W ran aground on the Rhine River near Mainz, Germany. The Sanda W was en route to Budapest from Tolkamer and had reached the mouth of the Main River. The barge was attempting to enter the Main when the river cruise ship River Ambassador appeared from under a nearby railway bridge. The vessels nearly collided, but luckily the Sandra W was able to do an emergency maneuver avoiding it. However, the maneuver sent the Sandra W into a fairway buoy before the barge touched the river bottom. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The River Ambassador continued on its voyage to Nuremberg from Mannheim while the Sandra W continued to Budapest.
