A sudden storm in southwestern China’s Guizhou province has capsized four boats, killing 10 people and injuring 70.
More than 80 people fell into the water, state media reported on Monday, when the rain and hailstorm struck the vessels on a stretch of the Wu River near Qianxi City on Sunday afternoon.
Rescue operations ran overnight. Initial reports said nine people had died, with one person missing.
However, rescue personnel discovered the missing person, who “showed no signs of life”, around noon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
In one video shared by state media, a man could be seen performing CPR on a person, while one of the vessels drifted upside-down.
Initial reports suggested two tourist vessels had capsized.
However, CCTV later confirmed that four boats were involved – two of which were not carrying passengers at the time – in the incident, which occurred on the upper reaches of the waterway, which is a tributary of the Yangtze River, China’s longest.
The seven crew members on board the two vessels, carrying no passengers, managed to swim to safety, the broadcaster said.
A witness interviewed by the state-owned Beijing News said some passengers managed to swim to safety after the storm had descended rapidly, and thick mist obscured visibility on the river.
