CRI听力:Yangtze Shipwreck: Work Begins to Right Upturned Ship

Workers began to right the ship Thursday night after the rescue headquarters decided the operation should be moved forward quickly.

Three holes had been cut in the bottom of the ship but searchers failed to detect any signs of life.

Spokesman for the Transport Ministry Xu Chengguang says it's time to move on to the next phase of the operation.

"The reason we made the decision to upright the ship is, with all the search efforts and the fact that we didn't find more survivors, based on experts' comprehensive research and analysis, we believe chances for finding more survivors in the ship have become increasingly slim."

He explains the move would help find the missing "in the shortest possible time".

"We will continue taking all possible measures and mobilizing all possible manpower to conduct the second phase of the operation in a timely and delicate manner. We will try our best to maintain the dignity of the deceased while finishing the salvage as soon as possible."

The ship is being hoisted by cranes capable of lifting the whole vessel to set it upright.

In Beijing, President Xi Jinping has presided over a top-level meeting on how to handle the aftermath of the tragedy, demanding a serious investigation into the cause of the shipwreck.

Meanwhile, officials in Jianli county in Hubei province where the ship capsized are stepping up efforts to accommodate an influx of family members of the victims.

More than 1,200 relatives have arrived and more are expected in the coming days, putting pressure on the local government.

Jianli county chief Huang Zhen says they are busy arranging food and accommodation, with the help of local residents.

"People in Jianli have volunteered to offer their help. Several enterprises have been providing food, accommodation, and work places for the rescuers. Yesterday afternoon, we asked the public for help through the media in accommodating the relatives of the victims. Within one hour, more than 200 families had offered to receive the relatives."

More than 10,000 people held a candlelight vigil on a square in Jianli on Thursday to pray for those on the ship.

Work to collect DNA samples from the relatives has also begun, in preparation for identifying the victims.

The Eastern Star cruise ship with 456 people on board was hit by a violent storm Monday night, taking about only a minute to turn over.

For CRI', I'm Qi Zhi.