The capsizing of a cruise ship in China that killed hundreds earlier this year was caused by a strong storm, an official investigation has concluded.

Nearby ships blared horns for three minutes and rescuers bowed in silence to honour more than 430 victims of the Yangtze River capsizing, as specialists began working on DNA samples from relatives to identify the dead.

Rescuers in China have cut into the upside-down hull of a river cruise ship and pulled out 39 drowned passengers.

Divers have pulled two people alive from inside a capsized cruise ship in China and are preparing to rescue at least four more, state broadcaster CCTV said.