Thousands of burned-out cars lie in neat rows alongside mountains of crushed shipping containers, the smoldering frontline to enormous explosions that paralyzed one of China's most important ports and industrial zones.

The Binhai New Area in northern China, where the blasts killed scores of people and injured more than 500, is a giant logistics hub more than twice the size of Hong Kong.

Relatives of more than 400 people missing after a cruise ship capsized on China's Yangtze river were hoping for a miracle Wednesday as authorities said they were racing against time to find any survivors.

State media said just 14 people have been rescued from the "Eastern Star" which overturned late Monday in a storm, leaving just a section of its hull protruding from the murky waters.