A total of 60 bodies of the victims of the Dashun shipwreck have been found from the wrecked ship since some 100 divers joined the recovery efforts three days ago near the coastal city of Yantai in east China's Shandong Province.

Calm seas have accelerated the search, said officials in charge of recovery operations.

With 262 passengers and 40 crew members on board, the Dashun, owned by the Yantai Yanda Automobile Ferry Company, caught fire on the afternoon of November 24 and was forced to turn back from its course toward the port of Dalian in Liaoning Province in northeast China.

The vessel sent out distress signals after flames were discovered at 4:30 p.m. The ship sank at about midnight the same day.

The divers called in from across the country include divers of the Chinese navy, and the operation is still going on.