A cruise ship sank last night in the Yangtze River, in southwest China region. On board were about 458 people but, as we learn from the first fragmented information, only 18 have been rescued. Among the survivors are the captain and the chief engineer of the ship, who were detained by the police and questioned. The ship, Eastern Star , was carrying 406 passengers of Chinese nationality, five employees of the tourist agency that organized the cruise and 47 crew members. Most passengers are between 50 and 80 years of age. Six of them were rescued by divers who have found themselves trapped in the wreck of the ship.     The Eastern Star was traveling from Nanjing to Chonqing, a route well-trodden by tourist cruises, and was in Hubei province when the tragedy occurred. Premier Li Keqiang visited the place and recommended rescuers to step up efforts to rescue as many people. According to the website of the local newspaper Hubei Daliy, 150 boats and three thousand people are engaged in the research, made particularly difficult by bad weather. The ship was used for cruises on the Yangtze, between Shanghai and Chongqing, in southwest China.