On Sunday afternoon, a rain and hailstorm struck the vessels along a stretch of the Wu River near Qianxi City, causing more than 80 people to fall into the water, according to state media.
Overnight, there were no rescue operations. Initial reports stated that one person was missing and nine others had died. However, according to state broadcaster CCTV, rescuers found the missing person around noon and “showed no signs of life.”
One of the videos shared by state media showed a man performing CPR on a person as one of the vessels turned upside down.
Two tourist vessels reportedly capsized, according to initial reports. However, CCTV later revealed that four boats were involved in the incident, which took place on the upper reaches of the longest tributary of China’s Yangtze River, two of which were not carrying passengers at the time.
No passengers were on board the two vessels, but the broadcaster reported that the seven crew members made it to safety.
After the storm had descended quickly and the river was obscured by thick mist, a witness who spoke to the state-owned Beijing News claimed some passengers managed to swim safely.
The boats involved in this incident weren’t overloaded, according to CCTV. Each had a capacity of 40 passengers, respectively.
Local authorities organized roughly 500 emergency personnel to take the lead of the rescue operation.
According to state news agency Xinhua, President Xi Jinping demanded “all-out efforts” be made in the search and rescue operations and the recovery of those injured.
The agency further “understood the necessity of strengthening safety measures in tourist attractions” and other large public spaces.
He also made note of a number of recent national fatalities.
Domestic travelers to Guizhou’s mountainous interior are frequently abounding on the Wu River, particularly during the holidays.
Source: Aljazeera
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