The official TV channel CCTV News reported that the death toll from the tragedy rose to 65 after 39 dead bodies were recovered from inside the ship last night as rescuers started drilling the hull which remains overturned since the ship was capsized.

On the eve, the authorities decided to take this action after hearing noises from inside the boat that encouraged the possibility of survivors still trapped with some oxygen in that part of the ship.

However, on Thursday (04) morning there is no other survivor found in that ship that was carrying 456 people on a tourist route of more than 10 days from the eastern city of Nanjing to Chongqing in central China.

Experts expect the death toll will rise dramatically in the next few hours as rescue works gain progress, in which more than 1,200 rescue workers are involved, including 202 divers, and 131 ships and boats, revealed the Ministry of Transport.

For its part, China Meteorological Administration confirmed last June 2 there was a tornado in the area at the moment of the incident, with winds exceeding 115 kilometers per hour.

Prime Minister Li Keqiang moved to the area of the disaster and called for a full rescue effort. He also paid tribute to the dead passengers.