The black-box recording device from the bus that plunged into the Yangtze River in Chongqing was found on Wednesday and handed over to the local public security bureau.

Meanwhile, divers have been attaching steel cables from floating cranes to get ready to raise the bus. The lift was expected to start on Wednesday night.

The bus broke through a guardrail and plunged into the river with an estimated 15 passengers on board in Wanzhou, Chongqing, on Sunday morning.

So far, nine people are confirmed dead and seven bodies have been recovered. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The bus was located 71 meters below the river's surface where visibility was limited and currents impeded divers. Salvage teams are working around the clock.

Diver Lu Yuxin found the black box and removed it from the bus. But when he opened the box in the water, he found there was no memory chip. After a careful search in the complex underwater environment, he finally found the tiny chip.

After the black box was found, the rescue team prepared to lift the vehicle out of the water.

The crash occurred after the bus swerved suddenly onto the wrong side of the road on the Second Yangtze River Bridge. It struck an oncoming red sedan before breaking through the guardrail and falling 50 meters into the river.