It has been over 60 hours since the Eastern Star capsized in a section of the Yangtze River with more than 400 people on board.
Rescue teams have been working around the clock to save who they can find, but hundreds are still unaccounted for.
Rescue workers battling heavy rain have cut into the hull of the upturned vessel so divers can search inside.
But no-one has been pulled out alive since Tuesday’s dramatic rescues.
Authorities are investigating the crew members who were rescued from the Eastern Star, which capsized in a freak tornado on Monday night, and were “gathering evidence”, Xu Chengguang, the spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has continued to direct direct the Eastern Star rescue operation.
Li observed work near the capsized ship, saying 100 percent efforts should be put into the rescue work if there is even a glimpse of hope of finding survivors.
Li bowed and paid silent tribute to two victims recovered Wednesday morning. He also took the time to thank the divers taking part in the massive search operation.
On Tuesday, he visited a hospital in Hubei province where several rescued passengers were receiving treatment. He pledged to them that the government would deal with the aftermath of the accident.
State media say 65 people are now confirmed to have died when the Eastern Star overturned in a storm on Monday.
The main difficulty is holding the vessel steady to prevent it from sinking further. If any air in the hull escapes, it could cause the ship to lose buoyancy and sink deeper. Divers had managed to attach the steel cables to the hull and cranes were used to support the ship.
A total of more than 4,000 people have been mobilized and more than 130 ships, coastal patrol vessels and even fishing boats are carrying out search and rescue. More than 200 divers are taking turns going underwater. Five large salvage ships are at the scene.
Wednesday morning, rescuers expanded their search area to 220 kilometers downstream. Traffic on the Yangtze river was resumed Wednesday afternoon.
The incident could become China’s deadliest shipping accident in almost seven decades. More than 450 people were on board the ship when it sank on Monday night after it was caught in a tornado. It had set sail from east China’s Nanjing last Thursday, destined for Chongqing Municipality.
The ship’s captain and chief engineer both survived and are in police custody. The State Council has set up a special team to investigate the cause of the tragedy.
