The captain of the Eastern Star cruise ship was described by colleagues as a professional, experienced and responsible person.

Captain Zhang Shunwen. Photo: SCMP

Zhang Shunwen, 52, was piloting the cruise ship on the evening of June 1 when it sank in a strong storm on the Yangtze River. He was one of the few people rescued from the 456 people on board.

His wife, Mo Bing, was the head of the ship's service team and is among more than 360 people still missing, according to SCMP.

Mr. Chen Yilong, captain of the Eastern Prince, sister ship of the Eastern Star, said Mr. Zhang was a skilled and professional captain.

A retired chief engineer at the same travel company also described Mr. Zhang as a highly skilled professional.

"He is very responsible for his work," said the former chief engineer. "He is very friendly with other colleagues."

Zhang was rescued after drifting in the river for about two hours. However, some relatives of the missing passengers have questioned why he did not stay on the ship to evacuate everyone on board, or anchor the ship to avoid the storm, as at least one other ship in the area did.

No warning was given and no distress signal was sent to authorities. Witnesses said the ship sank within minutes.

His colleagues declined to comment while the investigation is ongoing.

Zhang and the chief engineer of the sunken ship are now in police custody and being questioned.

Peng Keyun, a retired worker, said he was saddened by Mr. Zhang's fate. "He was an honest man," Mr. Peng said.

Zhang started his career as a ship captain at the age of 17 and graduated from maritime school in 1984. He became captain of the Eastern Star in 2008.

He rose through the ranks over the past three decades to become a captain from his starting point as a young sailor.

His crew had never been involved in any serious maritime accidents, and Zhang had only committed three minor safety failures a few years ago.

According to Vnexpress