A ferry sinks in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China, killing
hundreds of people on this day in 1999. The ship had caught fire
while in the midst of a storm and nearly everyone on board
perished, including the captain. The Dashun, a 9,000-ton vessel,
was transporting passengers from the port city of Yantai in
China's Shandong province to Dalian, near Korea, on November 24.
It was snowing and windy when the ship, carrying approximately
300 passengers and 40 crew members, left Yantai. Just a short
way into the journey, a fire broke out on board. Although the
exact cause is unknown, many believe that the gas tank on a
vehicle the ship was carrying may have ruptured. The fire forced
the passengers to the lifeboats. A distress signal was sent out
at 4:30 p.m (apparently officials already knew about the
problems on board because a passenger had called for help on a
cell phone), but the stormy weather delayed rescue efforts until
the next morning. Reportedly, Ma Shuchi, a crew member, swam six
miles to safety, tho