Screenshot of a video shows the four-storey ship on the upper left corner believed to be the Eastern Star cruise liner. [Photo by Xinhua via Sina Weibo]

Only 14 people have so far been found alive after the worst recorded ship disaster on the Yangtze River.

Seven bodies were recovered, and 435 people remain missing.

The cruise ship Eastern Star capsized in a storm at 9:28 pm on Monday in the section of the Yangtze that cuts through Central China's Hubei province.

The ship turned upside down in the 15-meter-deep water.

A rescue campaign is being coordinated by Premier Li Keqiang's office, but due to a lack of heavy duty equipment and expert personnel in the area, progress has been slow.

Seven survivors were rescued from the turbulent Yangtze waters, and the others were pulled from the overturned hull.

Tan Zhenxing, 28, looked harried on Tuesday night as he stood about 13 km from the site. Tan said he was overwhelmed when he heard that the Eastern Star had overturned, as his parents, both in their mid-50s, were on board.

"My father has worked on the ship for more than 10 years, and my mother joined him a year ago," the Chongqing resident said. "I'm hoping for a miracle."