Tourist ship capsized in a sudden storm in southwestern China, killing nine people and missing one
The initial reports said the two tourist ships had been tilted, but CCTV and Xinhua officials said on Monday that four ships were involved. It is not clear whether the other victims are on the other two boats.
After a sudden rain, the ships tilted and a hailstorm hit a tributary of Yanz, the longest river in China. In a video shared by the state media, one person can be seen performing CPR on the other while one of the ships is reversed.
Jizhou's mountains and rivers are a major tourist attraction, with many Chinese travelling on a five-day national holiday that ends on Monday.
Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday that Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “going all out” to find missing and take care of the injured. Xi Jinping's administration has worked to reduce deaths in China's transportation sector, but overloads, poor maintenance rates and lack of safety equipment have frustrated these efforts, especially during major holidays. CCTV said two of the two capsized ships had about 40 people on board, without overload.
A witness told the state-owned Beijing news that the waters were deep, but some managed to swim safely. But a storm suddenly came, and thick mist covered the surface of the river.
