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60-member team in China probes cause of cruise boat sinking that left 442 dead or missing

Associated Press
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In this Sunday, June 7, 2015 photo, rescuers work on the raised capsized ship Eastern Star on the Yangtze River in Jianli county of southern China’s Hubei province. China has assembled a 60-strong team to probe last week's river cruise ship sinking following orders from President Xi Jinping to find the cause of the country's worst maritime disaster in nearly seven decades. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

In this Sunday, June 7, 2015 photo, rescuers work on the raised capsized ship Eastern Star on the Yangtze River in Jianli county of southern China’s Hubei province. China has assembled a 60-strong team to probe last week's river cruise ship sinking following orders from President Xi Jinping to find the cause of the country's worst maritime disaster in nearly seven decades. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

In this Tuesday, June 9, 2015 photo, relatives mourn for victims of the June 1 cruise ship sinking at the funeral house in Jianli county in southern China's Hubei province. China has assembled a 60-strong team to probe last week's river cruise ship sinking following orders from President Xi Jinping to find the cause of the country's worst maritime disaster in nearly seven decades. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT (The Associated Press)

China has assembled a 60-strong team to probe last week's cruise ship sinking following orders from President Xi Jinping to find the cause of the country's worst maritime disaster in seven decades.

State broadcaster CCTV reports Wednesday that surviving crew members and witnesses, those who designed and modified the ship, and others who may have useful input have been interviewed.

It said video footage and other evidence has been obtained from the ship, and weather, radar and other data was being analyzed for indications of what went wrong.

Just 14 people survived the capsizing of the Eastern Star amid heavy rain and wind on the evening of June 1 as it was carrying 456 people, many of them elderly tourists, on a cruise to the Yangtze River port of Chongqing.