Beijing: Nine people died, one was missing, and 70 were injured after four tourist boats capsized due to sudden gales on a river in Qianxi, southwest China’s Guizhou province, according to state media.
A total of 84 people fell into the water following the accident on Sunday afternoon, and the search for the last missing person continues.
Speaking to Chinese media Red Star News, tourists who were on-site during the accident said that there was a sudden rainstorm accompanied by hail, thunder, and strong winds.
According to reports, the local meteorological authority issued a yellow alert on Sunday, stating that thunderstorms would occur in multiple places.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged all-out efforts to search for those who fell into the water and treat the injured after the boats capsized.
The Chinese provincial authorities have deployed nearly 500 emergency responders, including police, firefighters, and medical personnel, to coordinate rescue efforts, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The other passengers on the boat reported a sudden shift in the weather, featuring intense rainfall and a fog hovering over the water’s surface.
In December also, eight people died after a boat capsized in Guizhou province.
Meanwhile, on Friday, a helicopter crashed in the Wuzhong district of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, resulting in one death and four injuries due to bad weather, as confirmed by the Chinese local emergency management bureau.
According to the bureau’s statement, the helicopter crashed from a height of about 10 meters above the ground while returning to Wuzhong airspace. The victim, one person on the ground, was killed, while four personnel on board were injured.
Earlier this year, eleven people died, and five went missing after a passenger boat collided with an oil waste recovery vessel in central China’s Hunan Province, according to the local authorities.
The incident occurred on the Yuanshui River in Qinglang Township, Yuanling County, causing 19 people to fall overboard, of whom three were rescued.
(IANS)
