Tour boats with 70 people capsize in China during heavy rains, leave 20 missing

First Post

04-05-2025

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 read more
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. By 7 pm, more than 50 people had been rescued, Xinhua reported.
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Casualty figures remain unconfirmed, with local authorities still tallying the numbers, according to South China Morning Post.
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.
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.
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.
Rescue operations in Sunday's incident are ongoing.
With inputs from agencies