The capsizing occurred during China’s five-day May Day holiday, a peak period for domestic tourism. Known as “golden week”, the holiday typically sees a surge in travel across the country
Two tour boats carrying about 70 people capsized on a river in China’s southwestern Guizhou province on Sunday (May 4) afternoon amid severe weather, according to Chinese state media.
The incident occurred around 4 pm local time on the Liuchong River near the Dongfeng Reservoir, as heavy rain battered the area, plunging dozens of passengers and crew into the fast-moving water.
Following the accident, three people died and 60 others were hospitalised, according to state media.
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Rescue workers were still searching for the 14 people who were missing as on Sunday evening.
A tourist onboard another vessel told the newspaper that the weather had changed abruptly, bringing a downpour and mist that shrouded the water’s surface, complicating visibility and navigation.
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The China Meteorological Administration had issued warnings earlier in the day for intense rainfall across southern and southwestern China, including Guizhou and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
A dark mark during Golden Week
The capsizing occurred during China’s five-day May Day holiday, a peak period for domestic tourism. Known as “golden week”, the holiday typically sees a surge in travel across the country. On Saturday (May 3), the state-run People’s Daily cited data from travel platform Trip.com showing that hotel bookings in Guizhou had jumped by a third on the first day of the holiday.
Despite repeated calls by Chinese authorities for heightened safety measures during holiday periods, serious incidents continue to take place. Just two days prior, a sightseeing helicopter crashed in a newly opened scenic zone in Suzhou, killing one person on the ground and injuring four others on board. In December, a separate boating accident in Guizhou claimed the lives of eight people.
China’s leader Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” in the search and rescue operations and treatment of those injured, Xinhua said.
