Relatives of shipwrecked crew members allege they were beaten by police.

Relatives of passengers missing on the Eastern Star cruise ship allege they were beaten by Chinese police when they requested more information about the tragedy.

Relatives of the Shanghai passengers stormed a government office demanding information on June 2. Photo: AP

Relatives of the Shanghai passengers stormed a government office demanding information on June 2. Photo: AP

Dozens of relatives took to the streets of Shanghai yesterday to petition the city government. However, uniformed police officers dragged them away and led them inside a building, preventing them from contacting the media.

A video circulating online shows a brawl breaking out between police and civilians, with police officers hitting and physically assaulting relatives.

"I witnessed all of this firsthand," Huang Jing, 43, whose family was on the sunken ship, told Reuters.

A woman whose husband, Qin Jianping, and father-in-law, Qin Zhengming, were on the ship angrily exclaimed, "Why are they using taxpayers' money to bully us? Why are all these policemen here?"

The police have not yet commented.

The Eastern Star cruise ship sank on the stormy night of June 1st with 456 people on board. 89 victims have been found, but only 14 survived. More than 300 people are still missing.

Families are growing increasingly impatient due to the lack of information they've received about their loved ones. Dozens of people yesterday traveled by bus to the scene in Jianli County, Hubei Province, to seek answers.

However, they were stopped by police escorts throughout the trip. Officials later said they could go to the scene in organized groups, but reporters and cameramen were not allowed to accompany them.

Family members of the victims grieve near the rescue site on the Yangtze River. Photo: Reuters.

Most reporters were also blocked from accessing the hospital where the survivors were being treated. Authorities only arranged a few short visits for selected domestic and international media outlets to observe the rescue efforts. Official press conferences were limited.

However, Beijing has pledged not to conceal any information related to the accident investigation.

(According to AP/VN+)