China Confirms 21 Dead, 1 Missing After Tug Sinks in Yangtze River

Rescue workers carry a body on a tug boat that sank in the Yangtze River, near Jingjiang, Jiangsu province January 17, 2015. A search and rescue operation was still underway after the boat capsized on January 15, leaving 22 people missing, including foreigners. REUTERS/Aly Song

SHANGHAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have confirmed that 21 people were killed and one was missing after a tug boat undergoing sea trials sank in the Yangtze River, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

The 30-metre (98-ft) boat had 25 people on board when it sank on Thursday, including eight foreigners – four Singaporeans, an Indonesian, a Malaysian, an Indian and a Japanese, it said.

Three people, all Chinese, had been rescued. All eight foreigners died.

Sembcorp Marine Ltd, a Singapore-based shipbuilder, said on Friday the tug boat that its subsidiary, Jurong Marine Services Pte Ltd, had planned to charter sank during a sea trial. Three of the company’s employees were on board.

Sembcorp Marine is part of Sembcorp Industries Ltd , an industrial conglomerate with Singapore’s state investor Temasek Holdings being the biggest shareholder.

Xinhua said the 368-tonne boat was built by Anhui Bengbu Shenzhou Machinery Co. Ltd. in October. (Reporting by John Ruwitch; Additional reporting by Rujun Shen in SINGAPORE; Editing by Nick Macfie)