File photo of the ship named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star) which sank Monday night in the Hubei section of China's Yangtze River.

6:25 am

WUHAN - A passenger ship carrying 447 people sank Monday night in the Hubei section of China's Yangtze River, with more than 20 having been rescued, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

The luxury cruise ship, named Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star), sank at around 9:28 pm in the Shishou (Hubei Province) section of the Yangtze River, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.

The captain and the chief engineer, who have been rescued, both claimed the ship sank quickly after being caught in a cyclone.

It was heading from Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, to southwest China's Chongqing city.

There were 397 Chinese tourists, five travel agency workers and 45 crew members aboard, according to the administration.

More than 20 people have been rescued, CCTV reported. More than ten rescue ships are searching for the survivors, Yangtze River navigation administration said.

Rescue work is hampered by strong wind and heavy rain.

The ship is 76.5 meters long, 11 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep. It can carry as many as 534 people.