CCTV9英语新闻：东方之星倾覆事故遇难者人数已升至431人 11人失踪

A memorial service has just been held in central China for those lost when the Eastern Star cruise ship overturned on Yangtze River. Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang presided over the service in Jianli County of Hubei Province. 

Remembering the lost ones. A memorial service was held at 9 am on the deck of a command ship near where the tragedy took place. 

Officials from Transport Ministry, along with servicemen and armed police, observed a three-minute silence.

A memorial service has just been held in central China for those lost when the Eastern Star cruise ship overturned on Yangtze River.

A memorial service has just been held in central China for those lost when the Eastern Star cruise ship overturned on Yangtze River.

NATSOUND OF SIRENS

Ships nearby sounded their sirens in mourning. The sinking of the Eastern Star appears to rank as China's worst maritime disaster in seven decades. 

In 1948, the SS Kiangya sank off Shanghai killing at least 2,750.

The confirmed death toll of the Eastern Star disaster now stands at 431. Fourteen people are known to have survived the disaster. Many of them jumped from the ship as it began to sink. More than 10 are still missing.

Authorities have been briefing the media on the rescue operation.

"300 special police forces, 400 traffic police officers and 180 fire fighters, together with two-thousand armed policemen have rushed to the site since June 2nd...We've also deployed dozens of life detectors and a lot of other technology to help with the search. We're also coordinating with the maritime department to tackle the crisis," said Guo Tangyin, deputy head of Department of Public Security, Hubei Province.

The search area for those still missing has widened to 1,300 kilometres of the Yangtze river. Water traffic authorities and shipping companies have also joined the effort. The cause of the catastrophe is yet to be determined. 

Eyewitnesses said the ship capsized incredibly fast, while others say it happened within minutes. The real reasons are likely to remain unknown until police finished questioning the captain. But for family members of the victims, getting answers about what happened and laying their loved ones to rest are now their priorities during this tragic time.