A passenger ship carrying 458 people sank in the Yangtze River in central China after encountering what the rescued captain said was a storm and strong winds, the government’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ship, which departed from the eastern Chinese city Nanjing and is bound for Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, sank "within one or two minutes" after being caught in a cyclone, according to the ship's captain and chief engineer.

The accident occurred at the Damazhou waterway in the middle reaches of Yangtze River, according to the Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration (MSA).

The MSA and Changjiang Waterway have begun rescue the rescue mission and have saved eight people so far, including the captain and the chief engineer.

The official People's Daily reported the body of a tour guide had been recovered in the rescue effort.

Citing the Yangtze River authority, local media reported some passengers were still alive inside the ferry, as rescue workers heard noises when they knocked on the ship.

According to the Changjiang Maritime Safety Administration, when divers reached the sunken ship this morning and knocked on the body of the boat they heard a reply (link in Chinese), an indication people may still be alive within the vessel.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a work team of the State Council to rush to the site to guide search and rescue work, and ordered Hubei, Chongqing and relevant parties to carry out all-out search and rescue efforts and properly handle the aftermath.