Ship capsizes on Yangtze river, hundreds still missing

Five people are dead and hundreds are missing after a ship carrying more than 450 people capsized on the Yangtze River in China's Hubei province.

The ship is floating upside down in a wide stretch of river - state media said rescuers tapping the hull had heard calls for help from inside.

The boat, the Eastern Star, reportedly sent no emergency signal.

Media reports say the alarm was raised by several people who had swum to shore and alerted the police.

Only about 12 people have been rescued so far, and some with minor injuries have been taken to hospital, said state media. Rescue work has been hampered by strong winds and heavy rain.

The government has exerted huge control over information coming out from the scene, with local journalists stopped from getting close to the scene, according to the BBC.

Thousands of soldiers and rescue personnel have been deployed, and a high-powered salvage ship is on the way to pull the boat upright, reported China Central Television.

The state broadcaster said on its Weibo microblog account that divers had knocked on the hull underwater and had heard cries of help from within. It said later that rescuers above water had established contact with those trapped inside.

The captain and the chief engineer, who were both rescued after more than an hour in the water, have reportedly been detained by police. They were quoted earlier as saying that the boat had been caught in a cyclone and sank within minutes, while many people were asleep.

Premier Li Keqiang, who is travelling to Hubei province, has ordered a team from the state council to lead the search and rescue operatio