"The ferry, which was capable of carrying 250 people, had 38 passengers and nine crew on board when it sank this (Wednesday) morning. Eight are confirmed dead in the accident and seven have been saved," said Zhang Changbao, a spokesman with the Changshou district government of Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The accident was described by Zhang as the "most serious" to have occurred on the river in the district.

Three patrol boats from the Yangtze River Maritime Bureau, which is responsible for transportation safety and dealing with emergencies on the country's longest river, are continuing their search for the missing. But hopes of finding any more survivors in the freezing waters are slim.

"We are all hoping for the best for those still missing, but their fate is really precarious," said Wang Xiangdong, an official with the China Maritime Safety Administration in Beijing.

At around 7:20 yesterday morning, a group of teachers from Jiangnan Primary School, along with some vegetable sellers, boarded the ill-fated second ferry of the day at the local Xiaoyanzi dock on their way to work in Jiangnan Township on the south bank of the river.

Nothing was out of the usual, including the thick fog which shrouds the river at this time of the year, according to a doctor at the district's People's Hospital where those rescued were treated.

Recounting what the survivors had told him, Dr Yang said: "Although Chongqing is well-known for its fog, the fog has been excessive this year, especially in recent days."

Because of poor visibility, most of those on the ferry had not seen the approaching roll-on-roll-off , until the two vessels collided, said the doctor.

Official sources have yet to issue a statement, but Yang said he had been told by the survivors that most of them escaped by jumping over the rail immediately after the collision and before the ferry "overturned" and "quickly" sank.

"Many (of those lost) must have been taken down with the ferry," said Yang.

The condition of those rescued was not life threatening, with most suffering from fractures, cuts and nausea from swallowing an excess of water.

(China Daily December 19, 2002)