On October 18th, a tourist bus overturned and fell into the water at the Golden Beach Scenic Area in Qidong, Jiangsu, resulting in the death of 4 people. The cause of the accident was the travel company’s violation of the requirement to suspend operations during strong winds. A week after the incident, the media began reporting on it, however, the government, police, and the scenic area departments adopted an evasive attitude, claiming ignorance or stating to refer to official announcements, which sparked public dissatisfaction.
According to a report from the Xiaoxiang Morning News on October 25th, there were recent rumors of a tourist train accident near the Golden Beach Scenic Area in Qidong, Nantong, Jiangsu, resulting in multiple casualties. One netizen revealed that their father knew three of the deceased, one of whom was a former colleague of their father. The incident occurred on October 18th, with the netizen stating, “It was a very windy day, with waves crashing.”
Another netizen informed the Xiaoxiang Morning News that a relative of their colleague’s acquaintance died in the accident, stating that they were on a sightseeing train and “got swept away by the waves.”
On the afternoon of October 18th, the Golden Beach Scenic Area issued a notice of temporary closure around 6 pm without specifying the reason.
Reporters from the Xiaoxiang Morning News made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the Golden Beach Scenic Area. Duty personnel from the Qidong Yuanduo Jiao Tourist Resort stated they were unaware of the mentioned accident. Personnel from the Qidong Public Security Bureau mentioned forwarding interview requests to the publicity section. Duty personnel at the Qidong City Government said they were unaware of the incident. Calls to the Qidong City Committee Propaganda Department went unanswered. Personnel from the Lianyungang Police Station in Qidong mentioned they were unaware of the situation.
Staff from the Nantong Municipal Government Office stated that they needed to consult with the Committee’s Propaganda Department. Calls to the Nantong Propaganda Department went unanswered. The Nantong Municipal 12345 hotline suggested relying on official announcements. Personnel from the Nantong Fire and Rescue Brigade also stated the need to rely on official announcements.
Officials from relevant departments in Qidong informed reporters from the Xiaoxiang Morning News that out of the four deceased, one was from Nanjing and three were from Shanghai.
After the incident was reported by the media, on October 26th, the Qidong Yuanduo Jiao Tourist Resort in Jiangsu released a statement, indicating that around 10 am on October 18th, a tourist bus was hit by strong winds and overturned into the water within the resort, resulting in 4 fatalities, with one person pronounced dead after failed emergency treatment, and the three missing persons found with no signs of life.
As per initial investigations, Jiangsu Golden Beach Tourism Culture Co., Ltd. violated the requirements regarding notification for suspending operations during strong winds by driving a sightseeing bus carrying 17 tourists onto the dike of the Qidong Yuanduo Jiao Tourist Resort. Relevant individuals were apprehended by the police on the same day, and the investigation into the cause of the accident and assigning responsibility is currently ongoing.
It was reported that on October 17th, the Qidong Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow warning for strong winds in the coastal areas, stating that there would be a northeast wind above level 9.
Public information indicates that the train carriages do not have windows and are of an open-top design, a type of sightseeing bus in the Golden Beach Scenic Area.
The official attitude and the handling of the situation at the scenic area have caused public dissatisfaction.
Netizens criticized, “Yesterday they were uncertain whether anyone died, which indicates they were trying to suppress information.” “They couldn’t withhold it any longer so it came out.” “It took 8 days for the media to break the news!” “Why wasn’t the accident disclosed to the public within 24 hours of its occurrence?”
“News is indeed very timely; the 5G network is too fast, allowing us to see current events in just eight days.” “The casualties were found on the same day and died on the same day, so why was it delayed for a week? Don’t tell me the person in charge can only type 20 words in an 8-hour workday.”
“If it were an incident abroad, it would have been exposed within an hour.” “Ignoring the risks and running operations during strong winds, this shows the scenic area prioritizes profits over human lives. With such severe consequences, why did they keep it hidden for so many days?”
The Golden Sand Beach Scenic Area is a AAA tourist spot in China, designated as a provincial wetland park in Jiangsu in 2017 and one of the popular travel destinations in the Yangtze River Delta region. The sightseeing train can accommodate 60 people and covers a distance of 1.5 kilometers.