More Ships Stranded Because of Low Water in Yangtze

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 03, 2001

More Ships Stranded Because of Low Water in Yangtze

Nine ships and boats were forced to ground on the middle reaches of Yangtze River, China's longest, because of continued low water level.

Nine ships and boats were forced to ground on the middle reaches of Yangtze River, China's longest, because of continued low water level.

The ships and boats were stranded in the navigating waters between the Three Gorges and Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, from November 16-29, said sources from Yangtze River Port Navigation Supervisory Bureau Yichang Branch.

Since July this year, the valley of the upper reaches of the mighty Yangtze has had less rainfall than normal year, which has led to forming of five shoals from Chongqing, an important industrial city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, to Yichang.

Yangtze River Port Navigation Supervisory Bureau Yichang Branch administers four major low-water navigating river ways, of which, the shallowest river way is only 80 meters wide and 2.9 meters deep.

To deal with the unprecedented low-water phenomenon in the Yangtze, relevant navigating departments of the Yangtze have taken

effective measures to ensure safety of ships navigating between Yichang and Chongqing, including sending vessels to different shoals on the navigating course to help tug ships being grounded out of the sites of the accident, and operation of signal posts on both banks of the river.