Meteorologists said last night there had been a sudden, strong and violent storm at the section of the Yangtze River where the cruise ship overturned on Monday night. [Special coverage]
The tornado-like wind, measuring more than 12 on the Beaufort scale, lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, according to experts with the China Meteorological Administration.
Shanghai Salvage Bureau and the city's Donghai Rescue Bureau have sent a team of 24 people, including engineers and divers, to the scene to help in the rescue effort.
Huang Jianwei, a director with the Shanghai Maritime Safety Bureau, said survival would depend on how much air was left in the capsized vessel.
"Those staying in the watertight cabins still have a chance to survive," he added.
Huang said a ship's captain had an obligation to cancel or suspend a voyage in winds stronger than force 8.
However, he added: "A cyclone is hard to predict and occurs too swiftly, leaving little time for ships to react."
Huang said few inner river ships could have survived the tragedy that befell the "Eastern Star," an opinion shared by other maritime experts.
"The passenger ship was three meters deep under water but 10 meters tall above water and that made it vulnerable to strong winds or cyclones," said Xu Zhongxi, a professor with the Shanghai Maritime University.
"The ship is just like a tall tree with shallow roots to be easily blown down by strong winds. However, it was not design defect of the ship because all Yangtze River passenger ships have to use similar designs," he said.
"The passenger ships have to have a shallow bottom to enable them to turn quickly in the narrow river as well as to avoid touching the river bank in some shallow water regions," he said.
